Reports surfaced earlier this week of Boston wing Jaylen Brown having his eyes set on a max contract. The team has until October 21st to offer Brown an acceptable compromise or wait until next summer and risk having to match another team's offer.
Is Brown, a career third or fourth option, worth Danny Ainge signing off to a number reserved for stars?
The quick response is no, but after a careful analysis of what Brown has displayed thus far and the potential he has to grow, the answer is still no, but it's forced into a yes.
Argument For The Max
The best arguments for Jaylen Brown receiving star-level money is his role in the Celtics fabled 2018 playoff run, the chemistry and potential he and Tatum have on the wing, the culture he brings to the team, and the history of what could have been.
With Kyrie Irving out, Jaylen Brown adopted an aggressive play style on offense, averaging 18 points on an efficient 52 percent field goal shooting and 40 percent from deep. Brown finished second in scoring behind Jayson Tatum, and the duo looked like a wing pairing destined to wreak havoc for the next decade.
Which brings me to the next case for extending Jaylen Brown—appeasing Jayson Tatum.
The two top-5 picks instantly formed a friendship, and it's easy to see why as their games compliment each other perfectly. Tatum has the potential to spend his career amongst the scoring leaders, and Brown delivers the efficiency for Brad Stevens to rely on should Tatum need assistance.
Although he struggled at times last season, Tatum is a skilled scorer who can create separation off the dribble and effortlessly pull-up.
Jaylen Brown on the other hand shines brightest when in catch-and-shoot situations and being a slasher, as his athleticism allows him to finish over anyone the league has to offer.
Brown pairs that slashing ability with a respectable shooting ability at a 37 percent career three-point conversion rate.
However, it's the potential Brown has on the defensive side that makes nine figures seem a lot more reasonable. At 6 foot 7, 220 pounds, Brown has a size advantage over a majority of the players he's tasked with facing, allowing the Cal product to bat layup attempts like he belongs in a different age bracket.
When fully engaged, his athleticism and IQ alone could make him enough of a defensive presence to warner a major contract.
A solid offensive game that perfectly compliments the future of their offense in Jayson Tatum, paired with a low ego and high potential on the defensive side of the court are the biggest sells Jaylen Brown has to offer, and it may be good enough to get him near what he desires.
Danny Ainge clearly sees the potential in Brown, considering he turned down a Kawhi Leonard trade that featured the then 21 year old as the centerpiece. The dream of using Brown to get Anthony Davis from New Orleans failed. And opposing executives have detailed just how impossible it has been to pry Brown from Ainge's hands, stating on Brown "That's the guy we wanted to steal. Our thought was ‘They have (Jayson) Tatum and (Gordon) Hayward and drafted another wing, maybe they are out on Brown' and boy were we wrong. The conversation got about as far as the ‘Jay' sound out of my mouth and they said ‘Neither Jayson or Jaylen are on the table for you'. So, yeah. They love that kid."
Giving up on potential you clearly love and allowing the perfect complimentary piece to your young star to end up else where makes no sense.
I've been a fan of Jamal Murray since he was in high school, and I still had to double take when news broke that he had been signed to the max. However, in an era where duos make up the league, it makes sense for teams like the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers to lock up proven complimentary pieces to their franchise faces.
Jaylen Brown is no different, as his ability to play off and ease the stress on Jayson Tatum will likely make him a hundred million dollars richer.
Play the role of general manager:
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