The Boston Celtics' season ended in disappointing fashion, but Jayson Tatum made it clear he has no desire to break up with star teammate Jaylen Brown.
A fiery 0-3 comeback ended in bitter disappointment for the Boston Celtics on Monday night. Jayson Tatum injured his ankle 20 seconds into Game 7 and that was all she wrote: the Miami Heat dominated every facet of the game. What felt to most like the inevitable first 0-3 comeback in NBA history was dashed from existence.
Beyond Tatum, the Celtics ran into several problems Monday night: first and foremost Jaylen Brown, whose complete inability to dribble to his left was frequently exploited by Miami's active defense.
With his star teammate hobbled and the season on the line, Brown managed 19 points on 8-of-23 shooting. He dished out five assists but committed eight turnovers, single-handedly unleashing Miami's transition offense. All of Brown's flaws were on full display, which naturally led to debate around his future with the franchise.
Ask Jayson Tatum, however, and the solution is clear: run it back.
Jayson Tatum wants Jaylen Brown with the Boston Celtics long term
Brown enters the summer supermax-eligible after making second team All-NBA during the regular season. The Celtics have a difficult decision to make; Brown could command upwards of $50 million per season. With the new CBA looming, such a massive contract could restrict the Celtics' ability to build out the roster around Tatum and Brown. Other key future free agents, such as Grant Williams or Derrick White, could be sacrificed in order to accommodate such a significant long-term deal for Brown.
Tatum does not seem to care. The Celtics' Batman wants his Robin to stay.
Brown will make $28.5 million next season. The Celtics have the opportunity to extend him through his age-32 season (five years at $295 million), essentially locking up Brown for the remainder of his NBA prime. Tatum, meanwhile, is only two years younger and will assuredly receive a supermax contract of his own when the time comes.
The Celtics should continue to prioritize Tatum as the foundation of their team. Nobody else on the roster is untouchable. Giving Brown such a big contract in advance of the new CBA (and after that Game 7 performance) could be difficult to stomach. Boston should consider every option and leave no stone unturned.
That being said, the Celtics have made five conference finals appearances since Brown was drafted with the No. 3 overall pick in 2016. Brown has been more central to some runs than others, but there's no denying the track record. Even if the Celtics haven't reached the mountaintop, they've gotten much closer than any other 24-year-old + 26-year-old duo in the NBA.
Tatum and Brown are young, both on the frontside of their basketball primes. Both have the opportunity to get much better, Brown especially. One has to imagine that Game 7 is a good motivator for the summer ahead. He knows he needs to work on his handle. He knows he needs to become a more reliable shot creator to carry the non-Tatum minutes. He still has plenty of time to make that a reality.
The Celtics are expected to find common ground with Brown on a new extension. If it's not for the full supermax, it probably won't be far off. There will be plenty of trade proposals thrown into the content machine this summer — Portland for the No. 3 pick, Toronto for Pascal Siakam, Atlanta for X, Y, Z — but sometimes, patience is truly a virtue. Tatum and Brown are young. The Celtics can't hit the panic button just yet.