It’s certainly a risk to give the richest contract in NBA history to a secondary option who isn’t even a perfect complement to Boston’s best player, Jayson Tatum. But what were the Celtics supposed to do? Play hardball, piss him off, and let him walk? By extending Brown now, the Celtics will roll out a retooled championship contender this season while maintaining some options down the line.
There was no potential trade involving Brown this summer that would have improved Boston’s title chances, so there’s more value in extending the 26-year-old than leaving him as a disgruntled upcoming unrestricted free agent. Now, if things sour next season, the Celtics can always take a page from their old playbook and shop Brown for true superstars like they reportedly did in years prior for Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, and Kevin Durant.