How Jaylen Brown Feels About Celtics Amid Contract Negotiations

Jaylen Brown and the Celtics still haven’t agreed on an extension, but the two-time All-Star is still looking forward to running it back next season in Boston either way.

Eligible to sign a supermax deal to become the highest-paid player in the NBA, Brown and the C’s have a critical decision to make this offseason after Boston’s season came to a crashing end in the Eastern Conference finals. The team already has added, both to the roster and coaching staff, but despite having yet to retain Brown long-term, the 26-year-old isn’t any less excited to get back to the floor.

“I just see opportunity. A lot to learn, a lot to improve one,” Brown said Thursday during an interview with ABC’s Lindsay Davis. “You can’t take for granted the opportunities that you get. It’s a privilege to be in a winning organization with a winning team, so it’ll be great to bring back the guys and try to go on another run.”

Even with the past few seasons ending in disappointing fashion, the Celtics are still within reach of meeting expectations and getting over the hump. Therefore, with a new-look frontcourt — presumably, Robert Williams and Kristaps Porzingis — plus a window far from closed, running it back with the star-studded core becomes a no-brainer.

As Brown noted, there’s plenty of room for improvement. The Celtics were heavily hampered after abandoning their defensive-minded ways that former head coach Ime Udoka implemented during his run at the helm. They paid the ultimate price (playoff elimination) after then-first-year head coach Joe Mazzulla was exploited for his experience, digging a 3-0 hole against the Miami Heat that was too deep to escape.

However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to look forward to next season.

The Celtics are booked to be finals favorites yet again, awaiting a redemption campaign with the blockbuster addition of Kristaps Porzingis to a team that should have no issue finding the motivation it needs for a run to Banner 18.