According to NBA insider Bobby Marks of ESPN, Boston Celtics standout Jayson Tatum could be eligible for a $338 million deal next summer.
This offseason, the Celtics inked Jaylen Brown to a five-year, $304 million supermax contract extension.
Tatum is regarded as one of the top players in the NBA. In 74 games last season, he averaged 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while shooting 46.6% from the field, 35.0% from beyond the arc, and 85.4% from the free-throw line.
With the Celtics, Tatum, 25, has made four All-Star teams and three All-NBA teams. In 439 games with Boston, the Duke product averaged 22.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
The Celtics were defeated in seven games by the Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. Since taking Tatum with the third overall choice in the 2017 draft, Boston has made the playoffs every year.
The Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals in 2022, but were defeated in six games by the Golden State Warriors.An anonymous Celtics player informed Spotrac's Keith Smith that the team moved Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies,
Grant Williams to the Dallas Mavericks, and Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards this summer in order to "become a different kind of team."
"We're going to miss Marcus," an unknown Celtics player remarked. "Grant will be missed." But we needed to evolve into a different kind of team. Obtaining KP is really important to us. Both literally and metaphorically.