Why 2 of the NBA’s top stars hope Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown don’t split up in coming years
“You think about legacy, they’re doing it in Boston."
It’s not just Celtics fans who are hoping that the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown remain together on the parquet floor for years to come.
Some of the brightest stars across the NBA seem to share a similar sentiment.
Even though any Celtics roster anchored by both Tatum and Brown will cause headaches for the rest of the league, the pair’s elite talent and ability to play off of each other’s skillsets has transformed them into arguably the best 1-2 punch in the league.
During the latest episode of Clippers star Paul George’s “Podcast P” show, both he and Chicago Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan praised Boston’s core of young talent.
“They play off each other so well,” George said. “It’s not like, ‘You get a shot, I get a shot.’ He be in attack mode, Tatum being in attack mode, they’re looking for each other. They play off one another. Honestly, I hope they stay together.”
Both Tatum and Brown are among the best at their respective positions in the league, with both stars earning All-NBA selections last week.
Those accolades, especially in Brown’s case, should clear a path for both players to remain in Boston long-term.
Even though Brown does not officially hit free agency until 2024, his All-NBA selection makes him eligible for a super-max contract, with Boston able to offer him a new deal this summer up to five years and $295 million.
Brown has been noncommittal at times this season when asked about his future in Boston. But with Boston now standing as the lone team able to hand him that super-max contract, perhaps the sizable pay bump is enough to get Brown to sign on the dotted line.
Tatum’s latest All-NBA selection (his third in four seasons) also makes him eligible for a five-year, $318 million super-max deal next offseason.
Both hefty contracts will take up a significant portion of Boston’s cap space if Brown and Tatum sign at the highest price point available. But the road (and money) is there for the Celtics to keep both stars in place for the long haul.
“It’s so hard to find two talented wings in our game to be on the same team,” DeRozan said. “Those guys have gained so much experience already playing together. Being to the Finals. Being in the conference finals, All-Stars. It’s so hard to find that within your own organization. Like you said, I hope they stay together.”
Beyond their chemistry and the success that Boston has achieved on the court, George and DeRozan both noted that the Celtics have arguably not even peaked yet.
This 2022-23 Celtics squad might be one of the deepest rosters this team has fielded in its lauded history. But with Brown and Tatum still just 26 and 25 years old, respectively, the case can be made that both of Boston’s franchise stalwarts have not reached their prime just yet.
“You think about legacy, they’re doing it in Boston,” George added. “They’ve got a chance — if they stay together, if they build — they’ve got a chance to be up there with some of the greatest players we’ve ever seen. I hope it doesn’t come to a point where the pie’s not big enough. I hope they can figure out how to share that [expletive] and grow together.”
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