Jaylen Brown Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Sign Jaylen Brown To Four-Year Extension

October 21st, 2019 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

4:27pm: Brown’s new deal has $103MM in guaranteed money, with $4MM in likely incentives and another $8MM in unlikely incentives, a source tells Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter link).

3:59pm: The Celtics have officially announced Brown’s extension, issuing a press release to confirm the deal.

“Jaylen has made tremendous strides over the last three years and has become a fantastic player for us on both ends of the court,” Ainge said in a statement. “He’s a great person and hard worker who, at 22 years old, can score and defend against the best players in the NBA. Jaylen is a true professional who did a great job accepting his role last season, and he is a major part of our championship goals.”

2:51pm: Jaylen Brown has become the sixth player to agree to a rookie scale extension this year, having reached a four-year, $115MM deal with the Celtics, agent Jason Glushon tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The contract doesn’t feature any team or player options, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

It’s an early birthday gift for Brown, who will turn 23 years old on Thursday. The former No. 3 overall pick had an up-and-down season in 2018/19 after a modest breakout performance in 2017/18, averaging 13.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 1.4 APG on .465/.344/.658 shooting in 74 games (25.9 MPG).

Given Brown’s down year and the Celtics’ history of letting extension-eligible players reach restricted free agency, it initially looked as if the two sides were unlikely to work out a new deal this fall. However, Brown – who operated without an agent for his first three years in the NBA – recently hired Glushon to negotiate his extension, and his new agent came through, getting a deal done with just a few hours left before tonight’s deadline.

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), Glushon and Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge completed the majority of their negotiations over the weekend. This is Ainge’s first rookie scale extension for a Celtic since Rajon Rondo in 2009, Woj adds.

While it’s possible that Brown could’ve done a little better in restricted free agency next summer, there isn’t a massive difference between his new deal and a maximum-salary offer sheet. Based on the NBA’s latest projections, a four-year offer sheet from a rival suitor would have been worth $124.7MM. And if the cap for 2020/21 comes in any lower than $116MM, that projected max would drop along with it.

Boston will now count on continued improvements from Brown, who should take on a greater role in 2019/20 now that veterans like Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, and Marcus Morris are no longer on the roster. Brown is coming off a strong showing for Team USA in the 2019 FIBA World Cup, and is viewed as a potential impact player at both ends of the court.

Brown joins Ben Simmons (Sixers), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Pascal Siakam (Raptors), Buddy Hield (Kings), and Caris LeVert (Nets) as players who have worked out rookie scale extensions this offseason. Brown’s deal falls in between Siakam’s ($129MM+) and Hield’s (between $86-106MM) in terms of overall four-year value.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eastern Notes: Celtics, Satoransky, Lowry, Aminu

October 18th, 2019 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

A Wednesday report suggested the Celtics have offered Jaylen Brown a four-year, $80MM contract extension and that the young swingman passed on that offer in search of a more lucrative deal. Appearing on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston on Thursday, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge referred to that report as “not accurate,” though he declined to offer any real specifics on the team’s talks with Brown.

“We are working to come to some result by Monday as our deadline, and the negotiations have gone well,” the Celtics’ top decision-maker said, per Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. “It’s just not an accurate report, that’s all. We’ve given him numerous offers. We’ve been negotiating for a little while. So, that’s all.”

Shams Charania of The Athletic wrote earlier today that multiple teams are watching the Celtics’ negotiations with Brown closely, since the soon-to-be-23-year-old would be a prime candidate for a big offer sheet if he reaches restricted free agency next summer. However, Ainge said that neither Brown nor the C’s are “too stressed” about the situation, as Forsberg notes.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

After assuming most of the scoring and play-making responsibilities in Charlotte, Kemba Walker is enjoying playing on a Celtics team that has players capable of sharing that burden, writes John Karalis of MassLive.com. “It takes a lot of pressure off me,” Walker said earlier this week. “I’m getting a lot of different shots as well, but I’m loving it, not having to do so much all the time. Hopefully my usage rate might be going down a little bit. It allows other guys to make plays and I can appreciate that for sure.”
The Bulls officially named offseason free agent addition Tomas Satoransky their starting point guard this week, as K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago details. Satoransky beat our fourth-year guard Kris Dunn, who is entering a contract year. However, Dunn is staying positive as he prepares for a reserve role, Johnson writes in a separate NBC Sports Chicago story.
After signing an extension with the Raptors this week, Kyle Lowry said that both sides “worked extremely hard to get it done” and that he’s glad to remain in the place he wanted to be. GM Bobby Webster, meanwhile, said working out a new deal with Lowry before opening night was always the goal. “You don’t want to go into seasons with anything hanging over the team,” Webster said. “We knew it was something that was really important to him and it was really important to us“ (Twitter links via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca).
Al-Farouq Aminu‘s new teammates in Orlando have been raving about his versatility, work ethic, and ability to adapt quickly to the Magic‘s system, writes John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com. Aminu was the team’s big offseason addition, signing a three-year contract worth nearly $30MM.

Charania’s Latest: Kings, J. Brown, Rockets, China, More

October 18th, 2019 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

One complicating factor in the Kings‘ contract extension negotiations with Buddy Hield is the four-year, $85MM deal the team did with Harrison Barnes earlier this offseason, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, Sacramento has already expressed some remorse over that deal, since it has set a precedent in talks for Hield and may impact the Kings’ ability to complete extensions for other key players.

Meanwhile, in other rookie scale extension news, Charania says several teams around the NBA are monitoring the negotiations between the Celtics and Jaylen Brown. Sources tell Charania that those teams are waiting to see if they’ll get a chance to “make Boston and GM Danny Ainge pay” with a big offer sheet for Brown next summer.

Here’s more from Charania:

The NBA/China controversy appears to be at an impasse for now, with teams around the league waiting to see how Chinese TV networks handle opening night on Tuesday. It’s not clear if China will lift its suspension of NBA broadcasts at that point or if it will continue to blackball telecasts, according to Charania.
With Gerald Green potentially out for the season due to a foot injury, the Rockets are “scouring the market” for help on the wing, says Charania. Houston discussed some Andre Iguodala trade scenarios with the Grizzlies, but is reluctant to go way into luxury-tax territory by trading for Iguodala, Charania adds.
Charania provides updates on a pair of roster battles, writing that Javonte Green is the favorite to become the Celtics‘ 15th man over Max Strus, while Marquese Chriss is “moving closer” to claiming a regular season roster spot with the Warriors.
Free agent swingman Iman Shumpert has spoken to a few teams, including the Bulls and Grizzlies, Charania reports.
Charania suggests that Bulls forward Chandler Hutchison has suffered a hamstring strain in “recent days.” His wording makes it sound like it’s either a different injury than the strain Hutchison suffered in early September or a re-aggravation of that injury. The second-year Bull is expected to miss more time, league sources tell Charania.

Extension Rumors: Hield, Brown, Siakam

October 16th, 2019 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Teams carrying players eligible for rookie scale extensions have five more days to beat the October 21 deadline and lock up those players to long-term deals, with Buddy Hield (Kings), Jaylen Brown (Celtics), and Pascal Siakam (Raptors) among the prime extension candidates.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports has updates on the extension talks for all three players, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

The Kings have made Hield a four-year offer worth $90MM, league sources tell Haynes. However, the sharpshooter and agent Brandon Rosenthal are seeking a deal closer to $110MM. Based on the NBA’s latest cap projections for 2020/21, a four-year, maximum-salary contract for Hield with Sacramento would be worth just shy of $130MM, so even a $110MM deal would come in well below the max.
Although the Celtics aren’t typically aggressive when it comes to finalizing rookie scale extensions, they’ve put a four-year, $80MM offer on the table for Brown, league sources tell Haynes. However, the swingman, who turns 23 next week, believes in his ability to become a star and is seeking a more lucrative offer.
Siakam is the most likely player in this group to sign a new contract by Monday, according to Haynes, who refers to the Raptors‘ forward as a “virtual lock” to be extended. However, it will likely require a maximum-salary offer from Toronto, league sources inform Haynes. A five-year max for Siakam would be worth a projected $168MM, and could even get as high as $202MM if it includes Rose Rule language.

Woj’s Latest: Beal, CP3, Lowry, Iguodala, Siakam

October 11th, 2019 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

In a televised preseason special on Thursday night (audio link), ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe identified Bradley Beal as a player worth watching closely this season. Beal looks like the most obvious candidate of the NBA’s stars to become disgruntled and push for a trade during the 2019/20 season. However, as Wojnarowski notes, that hasn’t happened yet, and the Wizards are still all-in on trying to retain their All-Star guard.

“Bradley Beal’s got two years left on his deal and the Wizards have not given up hope of signing him to an extension,” Wojnarowski said. “They’ve had a three-year, $111MM-or-so extension on the table for him to take in any form. Does he want two years, three years? Any form he wants, it is there waiting for him. So they are nowhere near the idea of moving Bradley Beal. They want to continue to try to rebuild around him.”

As Woj and Lowe point out, a weak 2020 free agent class would make Beal an especially valuable trade chip if the Wizards’ stance changes, but there’s no indication that will happen anytime soon.

“Bradley Beal, if he got on the market, would bring back an absolute ransom because if you want to improve your team in a dramatic way, he’d be the guy,” Woj said. “But Washington’s not doing that. They still want to re-sign him.”

Here are a few more highlights from ESPN’s special featuring two of the network’s top basketball reporters:

The Thunder‘s plan when they acquired Chris Paul from Houston was to flip him to another team, according to Wojnarowski, who says OKC had hoped the Heat would be more open to making a deal. “He’s going to have to play really well in Oklahoma City for somebody to want to take on three years, $124MM [and] pay him $44MM in the final year of his contract,” Woj said of CP3. “That’s a really difficult proposition. … He has value in the league, but not at those numbers.”
Woj and Lowe think Raptors guard Kyle Lowry would generate a lot of interest on the trade market if Toronto becomes open to moving him. Both ESPN experts believe that Lowry’s one-year, $31MM extension actually makes him more appealing as a trade chip, since he wouldn’t be just a half-season rental. Lowe speculates that teams like the Heat, Pistons, and Clippers might have interest, while Woj singles out the Timberwolves as another potential fit.
According to Wojnarowski, both the Grizzlies and Andre Iguodala are willing to be patient when it comes to a potential trade or buyout. Woj likens Iguodala to MLB pitcher Roger Clemens, who often signed late in the season during the final few years of his career. “Iguodala’s fine with seeing what the landscape looks like and then jumping in on the season a little later,” Woj said. “Because you’re signing Andre Iguodala – or trading for him – for the postseason.” Woj added that the Lakers and Clippers would be the favorites to land the former Finals MVP if he’s bought out.
In a discussion on this year’s extension candidates (video link), Wojnarowski suggests that Raptors forward Pascal Siakam would be a lock for a maximum-salary offer sheet if he reaches restricted free agency next summer. Woj believes Kings sharpshooter Buddy Hield would get a similar offer and that Jaylen Brown (Celtics) and Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) would do very well too, given the lack of veteran stars expected to hit the free agent market.

Jaylen Brown Hires Agent To Handle Extension Talks

October 10th, 2019 at 6:29pm CST by Luke Adams

After operating without an agent for his first three seasons in the NBA, Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown has hired Jason Glushon to take the lead on his contract extension negotiations with Boston, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

Brown’s salaries on his first NBA deal were essentially locked in due to the league’s rookie scale, and he has worked with specialists for marketing and endorsement deals, so this is the first time in his career when an agent has become a necessity. Up until October 21, he’ll be eligible to sign a new contract, which would go into effect during the 2020/21 season. If he and the Celtics don’t work something out by then, he’ll become a restricted free agent next July.

A report last month indicated that the Celtics and Brown are unlikely to reach a long-term agreement before the season begins, given the club’s history of letting extension-eligible players reach restricted free agency. It’s also hard to pin down Brown’s value, since his upside and his place in a relatively weak 2020 free agent class seem to warrant a significant investment, while his mediocre 2018/19 season may give the C’s pause.

Glushon’s list of NBA clients includes Jrue Holiday and Brown’s former teammate Al Horford, so he has some experience negotiating deals worth in excess of $100MM. I expect Brown, who turns 23 next month, will be looking to surpass that threshold if he signs a new four- or five-year extension with the Celtics, since a breakout 2019/20 season would put him in line for an even bigger payday as a restricted free agent.

Atlantic Notes: Brown, Payton, VanVleet, LeVert

October 9th, 2019 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

While Jaylen Brown and the Celtics have reportedly opened talks on a possible rookie scale extension for the fourth-year swingman, a new deal by the October 21 deadline is considered unlikely. As one Eastern Conference executive pointed out to Frank Urbina of HoopsHype, it’s easy to see why each side may be reluctant to get something done before the summer of 2020, when Brown can become a restricted free agent.

“The Celtics may be thinking that they don’t want to give a max deal to their third-best player, but Jaylen Brown may be thinking that he can be the top free agent next summer if he has a big year,” that executive said. “Brown could play his way into a max contract. He’s going to have a bigger role than ever before with Kyrie Irving, Al Horford and Marcus Morris gone, and next summer’s free agent class is weak.”

As Urbina notes, that Eastern executive believes the Celtics should be comfortable at this point going up to about $20MM per year for Brown — or even higher if they feel like he’s in position to potentially secure a maximum-salary offer sheet next July.

“If you want him to be part of your core long-term and want to lock him in, it may make sense to give him more,” the exec said. “Boston may be comfortable saying, ‘We’ll give you something around $25MM [per year] now to sort of get a discount and not pay the max.’ And Brown really could be the top free agent available next summer, so I could see the argument for giving him the max.”

As we wait to see whether Boston can find common ground with the 22-year-old, here’s more from around the Atlantic:

With Dennis Smith Jr. on the shelf due to a back strain, offseason free agent addition Elfrid Payton may be playing his way into the Knicks‘ starting point guard job, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. No matter who starts, it will be a big year for all three Knicks point guards — Smith will be extension-eligible next summer, Payton has a non-guaranteed 2020/21 salary, and Frank Ntilikina will be eligible for restricted free agency.
Eric Koreen of The Athletic explores whether the Raptors‘ one-year extension for Kyle Lowry will affect future negotiations with Fred VanVleet, who will be an unrestricted free agent in 2020. As Koreen notes, VanVleet has talked about wanting to be a starter, and there may be teams willing to offer him that role – and pay him like a starter – next summer.
After signing a three-year extension with the Nets this offseason, Caris LeVert is eager to prove he’s capable of becoming a star, writes Michael Lee of The Athletic. “I’m at the point where now I feel I can control how good I can be,” LeVert said. “I’m going to push myself every single day and see where that ceiling is. I don’t know where it is. I don’t like to put limits on myself.”

Atlantic Notes: Lowry, Brown, Dinwiddie, Prince

October 6th, 2019 at 4:02pm CST by clarkcrum

Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun writes that while Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry has now spent seven full seasons in Toronto and helped the team bring home its first championship last season, the 33-year-old’s future after this season is up in the air.

Lowry will turn 34 in March, which means that Father Time will be creeping in to add some slippage sooner rather than later. Wolstat suggests that Chauncey Billups is a decent comparable to Lowry and that Billups, also a five-time All-Star, made his last All-Star appearance at age 33.

The Raptors need to add some young talent around Pascal Siakam, and Fred VanVleet, eight years Lowry’s junior, also will be looking for a new, more lucrative deal with the Raptors this summer.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston reports that Celtics guard Jaylen Brown is looking to hire an agent for the first time in his NBA career to represent him in negotiations with Boston on what Brown hopes will be a long-term deal that’ll keep him with the Celtics.
Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie sent out an interesting tweet in response to the NBA’s latest take on his plan to convert his contract into a digital investment vehicle. Per Marc Stein of The New York Times, an NBA spokesperson says Dinwiddie’s arrangement “remains prohibited by the CBA,” to which Dinwiddie replied, “This won’t end well lol.”
Nets forward Taurean Prince is making a case for a rookie-scale extension, especially with his preseason performance against SESI France Basquete, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Prince, who has been praised all summer by teammates, led the team with 22 points. “It’s just proof that the work I’ve put in and that the coaches have put in and the things we’ve been doing as a team have been working. I’m glad we’ve been able to transfer it over to the game.”

Jaylen Brown, Celtics Have Begun Extension Talks

October 3rd, 2019 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

A report last week indicated that the Celtics are unlikely to sign Jaylen Brown to a rookie scale extension before the 2019/20 season begins, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try. Brown confirmed to Brian Robb of Boston Sports Journal that the club recently reached out to begin discussions.

Brown, who would be on track for restricted free agency next summer if he doesn’t sign a new deal by October 21, said on Media Day that he’s not putting much thought into the possibility of an extension. He reiterated that lack of urgency in his comments to Robb.

“I’ve been able to watch these guys for three years,” Brown told Boston Sports Journal. “They have their process. They like to take their time. There is no rush at all. I don’t know if they feel rushed. I hope they don’t. There is no rush. They will figure it out or not figure it out. Either way is fine with me.”

While Brown appears to be taking a casual approach to negotiations, he may have to get more involved in those talks than most players would, since he doesn’t have an agent of his own. It’s not clear if the 22-year-old swingman intends to change that. He told Robb that he likes his current situation, but a league source recently informed Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe that Brown appears likely to hire representation before signing his next contract.

So far this offseason, three rookie scale extensions have been completed. Jamal Murray and Ben Simmons signed maximum-salary deals projected to be worth at least $168MM over five years. Caris LeVert, meanwhile, signed a three-year, $52MM extension with Brooklyn.

Finding a compromise somewhere in between those figures might be a challenge for Brown and the Celtics, particularly since the C’s haven’t been overly aggressive in recent years in their efforts to lock up extension-eligible players prior to restricted free agency.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Dinwiddie, Brown, Tatum

September 30th, 2019 at 8:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers center Joel Embiid dropped 20 pounds this summer in order to take the pressure off his balky knee, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports.

“Obviously my knee was bothering me the whole second half of the season and the playoffs,” the Sixers’ star said. “But all I was thinking was what can I do make sure I don’t let my teammates down again or my team. Or the whole city basically. That was to take better of my body.”

Embiid missed 12 games after last season’s All-Star break, mainly due to knee tendinitis. The Sixers will have a load management plan for him, but he expects to play more than the 64 games, Keith Pompey of the Philly Inquirer tweets.

Embiid added that he has more trust in Sixers GM Elton Brand than predecessor Bryan Colangelo, Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets. “With the past GM it wasn’t all that,” Embiid said.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie will meet with league officials this week to discuss his plan to turn his contract into an investment tool, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The NBA nixed the idea last week but Dinwiddle hopes he can convince the league to reverse its ruling. Dinwiddie wanted to enable investors to essentially buy shares of his three-year, $34.4MM contract.
Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown is eligible for a rookie scale extension until opening night but he’s not fretting over negotiations, Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston writes. “To be honest, I’m not putting too much thought into it,” Brown said. “I’m not losing any sleep over it. I think stuff like that ends up working itself out in the end, or however so. I’m just focused on this season and playing basketball. I think that’s my No. 1 emphasis. Let the chips fall where they may.” He’ll be a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension.
Celtics swingman Jayson Tatum, who played for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup, is hopeful of being on the Olympic roster next summer, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets. “I ain’t got nothing else to do,” Tatum said.