How Jaylen Brown's All-Star nod may impact his next Celtics contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Justice was served Thursday night, as Jaylen Brown earned the second NBA All-Star selection of his career after missing out in 2022.
It's good to see Brown get some well-deserved recognition -- but the Boston Celtics guard could have a few million more reasons to celebrate later this year.
As Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg reminded viewers Thursday night on NBC Sports Boston's "Early Edition," Brown can become eligible for a "supermax" contract extension this offseason if he makes an All-NBA Team after the season -- and Brown's All-Star nod was a sign that he's trending in the right direction.
"This is the first step in getting towards an All-NBA nod, and if Jaylen gets that, it opens up the possibility of a supermax extension," Forsberg said. "This is a chance for the Celtics to lock him up much earlier than I think we anticipated and really gives you your core for the long-term, and gives Jaylen a whole bunch of money to feel secure about where he is in Boston."
Making the All-Star team is no guarantee you'll earn an All-NBA nod -- only 15 players make All-NBA (three teams of five apiece), while the 2023 NBA All-Star roster consists of 24 players. Brown made the All-Star team in 2021 but missed out on All-NBA.
The seventh-year guard has much stronger case this season, however. He's averaging a career highs in points per game (27.0), rebounds per game (7.1) and field goal percentage (.491) while contributing 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
Most notably, he finished No. 2 among Eastern Conference guards in the All-Star media vote, which bodes well considering All-NBA Teams are selected by the media.
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Players are only eligible for a supermax if they've completed seven or eight NBA seasons and achieved one of the following:
Been named to an All-NBA team in the most recent season or both seasons before it
Been named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the most recent season or both seasons before it
Been named NBA MVP in any of the three previous seasons
In Brown's case, if he makes All-NBA, the Celtics could offer him a five-year supermax extension this offseason worth up to 35 percent of the salary cap, which could equate to a roughly $290 million contract.
That's more than any other team could offer Brown and would give him a clear financial incentive to re-up with Boston instead of playing out the final season of his contract and entering 2024 free agency.
So, if you'd like to see the star duo of Brown and Jayson Tatum intact for the foreseeable future, you'll be rooting for Brown to keep up his current pace.
