If Jayson Tatum has his way, the Celtics will keep their All-NBA tandem intact for years to come.
After Boston suffered a season-ending loss to the Miami Heat on Monday night at TD Garden, the focus on the Celtics immediately shifted to the next steps for the franchise. That includes the uncertain future of Jaylen Brown, who is eligible to sign a supermax contract extension this summer. If Brown and Boston don't work out a new deal in the coming months, the two-time All-Star will play the 2023-24 NBA season on an expiring contract.
Asked after Eastern Conference finals Game 7 about the importance of extending Brown, Tatum stressed his desire to keep playing with his longtime running mate.
"It's extremely important," Tatum told reporters, per ASAP Sports. "He's one of the best players in this league. He plays both ends of the ball and still is relatively young. And he's accomplished a lot so far in his career. So, I think it's extremely important."
Brown didn't offer any sense of direction about his future after Monday night's game. Citing his "one day at a time" thought process, the 26-year-old claimed he didn't know how to answer a question about potentially moving forward with the Celtics.
All told, it figures to be a fascinating offseason on Causeway Street.
