Fresh from a run to the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2022-23 season, the Boston Celtics have made moves to tie down one of their hottest talents for the long term. Jaylen Brown has agreed terms on a supermax contract extension that will see him net $304 million over the duration of his five-year agreement – the richest deal in NBA history.
The 26-year-old, a two-time All Star, finished 14th on the regular season points list last term despite starting just 67 games, and Celtics chiefs are pinning their hopes on Brown to fire them to a first NBA Championship since 2008.
Points Make Prizes
Those betting on sports, and specifically the NBA, will find the Celtics listed as joint favorites for the title in 2023-24 alongside the Nikola Jokic-powered Denver Nuggets at odds of 9/2.
Whether Jokic can replicate his awesome feats of last season remains to be seen, with the partnership between Brown and Jayson Tatum at the Celtics considered the better option by many sports tips columns.
They combined for more than 4,000 points last term, and at 25 and 26 respectively the duo is arguably hitting their athletic prime. Backed by the likes of Marcus Smart and Derrick White, Boston are only likely to get stronger – hence their determination to keep Brown for the long term.
"It's not just about a contract or money or playing basketball, it's about making a difference in life. That's what Jaylen embodies."
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) July 26, 2023
Wyc Grousbeck on Jaylen Brown @FCHWPO pic.twitter.com/ldrB7jEm3T
It’s cost them a pretty penny to iron out the guaranteed contract with their star forward, but all associated with the Celtics will be hoping it’s money well spent.
So who has Brown usurped on the list of richest NBA contracts in history?
Nikola Jokic ($276 million)
It was as recently as 2022 that Jokic became the highest-paid player in NBA history.
The five-time All Star powered the Nuggets to the 2022-23 championship, so you could argue that the $276 million, five-year supermax contract was a great deal for all parties.
Jokic’s performances in the postseason – he was the NBA’s leader in points, assists and total rebounds – confirm his status as a modern-day great of the game, so of course Denver had to open up their purse strings to keep him on board.
Bradley Beal ($251 million)
If you ever wondered if more money was flooding into the NBA these days, the fact that the three richest player contracts have been penned since the start of 2022 reveals all.
Washington Wizards managed to persuade Bradley Beal to sign on the dotted line for a $251 million max contract in July 2022, before things turned sour and the 30-year-old sought a move to pastures new.
Bradley Beal has agreed to a five-year, $251M max contract to stay with the Wizards, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/GJ1JIQHAan
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 30, 2022
In June of this year, Beal switched to the Phoenix Suns, who will now pick up the check for the three-time All Star instead.
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($228 million)
Still one of the hottest properties in basketball, Milwaukee Bucks tied down the ‘Greek Freak’ with a $228 million, five-year extension agreed in December 2020, which will keep Giannis in Wisconsin until 2025 at the earliest.
A two-time MVP and Finals MVP in 2021, the 28-year-old led Milwaukee to their first NBA Championship in 50 years back in that stellar 2021 campaign, and this year Giannis celebrates his ten-year anniversary at the franchise.
James Harden ($228 million)
When James Harden signed a five-year deal with the Houston Rockets in 2017 for a guaranteed $228 million, it was supposed to be a continuation of a very happy marriage with the franchise.
It got off to a good start, with Harden named MVP in a successful season for him personally, but he didn’t bring the long-awaited title to Houston and was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2021 and then onto the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022.
Who will be the next player to join them on the all-time rich list?
Also read: Jimmy Butler: The Greatest Underdog in NBA Playoff History