The Boston Celtics extended Jaylen Brown’s rookie-scale contract shortly before the 6 p.m. ET deadline Oct. 21, but had they not gotten a deal done, the Atlanta Hawks reportedly would have been waiting come July.
The Hawks were interested in both Brown and Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Sabonis also inked an extension on his rookie deal prior to the league deadline.
Here’s a snippet from the latest “Inside Pass With Shams:”
“Before Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown reached contract extension agreements, the Hawks were believed to be interested in either player as a restricted free agent, sources said. Atlanta is one of four teams (Charlotte, Cleveland, Memphis) projected to have significant salary cap space in the 2020 free agency period. Sabonis, who agreed to a four-year, $74.9 million extension with the Pacers prior to the start of the season, is off to a strong start: 22.8 points, 10 rebounds and 2.3 assists a night. Indiana’s front office made it a priority to lock up Sabonis — and got it done. Brown has also played strong for the Celtics to start the season.”
Brown will miss his second straight game due to illness Friday when the Celtics take on the New York Knicks, but the fourth-year wing has gotten off to a great start this season. In three games, Brown is averaging 17.3 points and 6.7 rebounds on 50 percent shooting.
The Marietta, Ga., native agreed to a four-year, $115 million contract to keep him in Boston for the foreseeable future. Had he hit the open market, Atlanta, due to cap space and proximity to home, likely would’ve been a favorable landing spot for Brown.
