Celtics Offseason

Rick Barry calls out Jaylen Brown's supermax contract as an overpay

The numbers on Jaylen Brown's new deal aren't adding up for the Basketball of Famer.

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Jaylen Brown technically became the highest-paid player in NBA history this summer. And some are having a hard time processing that.

Brown agreed to a five-year, supermax contract extension with the Boston Celtics on July 25 that will pay him a full 35 percent of the NBA salary cap beginning in the 2024-25 season. The deal currently projects to pay Brown roughly $288 million over five years but could surpass $300 million depending on how much the salary cap increases over the next five years.

Either way, Brown's contract is (for now) the richest in league history, surpassing two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic's $276 million deal. And Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry has an issue with Brown earning that much cash.

"You look at some of the contracts they have, even Brown -- $306 million. I mean, that’s just hard for me to believe," Barry told host Joy De'Angela in an interview to promote the BIG3 League. "His average in the playoffs for them is 18.5 points a game. I mean, 18.5 points a game, and he’s going to make $69 million in the last year of his contract. But 18.5 points a game -- that’s nothing! Seriously.

"To pay somebody that kind of money, and he’s a nice player, I really like him, but man, he’s got to improve his game. He turns the ball over too much, he tries to force things, and so is (does) teammate Tatum. That’s one of the reasons they lost to the Warriors two seasons ago. They make too many turnovers."

In a sense, we understand where Barry is coming from. While Brown earned Second-Team All-NBA honors last season and arguably is one of the 20 best players in the league, he's not in the top tier of superstars. Turnovers remain a glaring issue for the 26-year-old, who has given the ball away 140 times over the last two postseasons -- second-most in the NBA behind his teammate, Jayson Tatum. At first glance, it doesn't add up that Brown should be the league's richest player.

But Barry's comments fail to account for some important context.

In many ways, Brown's lucrative deal was the product of good timing. By making All-NBA in 2022-23, Brown became the only player eligible for the Designated Veteran Player extension this offseason. While other stars like Anthony Edwards signed rookie-scale max extensions, none could have received a payout like Brown's thanks to his six years of NBA service time.

And while Brown may not be a Tier 1 superstar, he's still essential to Boston's title aspirations. The Celtics had leverage this summer because they could offer Brown more than any other team, so rather than risk Brown leaving in 2024 free agency, they paid up to keep the Jays intact and pursue Banner 18.

Brown's status as the NBA's highest-paid player will be short-lived. His own teammate, Tatum, is eligible for the Designated Veteran Player extension beginning in 2024 and almost certainly will sign a more lucrative deal as the salary cap continues to increase. The next wave of supermax extensions will make Brown's contract look much more reasonable in comparison.

There's no doubt that Brown's deal has sticker shock in the present, however, which is why Barry won't be the only one who spouts this take in the next few months.

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