Report: Jayson Tatum Signs 5-Year, $195 Million Max Extension With Celtics
BOSTON (CBS) -- A tough weekend for the Boston Celtics just got a bit better. Rising superstar Jayson Tatum isn't going anywhere for a while.
Tatum has reportedly agreed to a five-year extension that could be worth up to $195 million, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Tatum was not a free agent, but he was eligible for his rookie scale extension this offseason. The designated rookie max of $163 million could balloon close to $200 million with All-NBA escalators, according to ESPN.
ESPN is also reporting that the fifth year of Tatum's extension is a player option.
"Player option" isn't something Celtics fans want to hear at the moment, not after Gordon Hayward opted out and ditched the team for a bigger payday this offseason. But Tatum is in Boston for at least the next five years (his extension won't kick in until after next season), and the 22-year-old has certainly earned the big-money payday.
Tatum has become one of the NBA's best players since Boston drafted him third overall in 2017. He took his game to new levels last season, averaging 23.4 points while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three-point range. He added a career-high seven rebounds and three assists per game as well. It all earned Tatum his first All-Star nod and All-NBA Third-Team honors.
During Boston's playoff run, Tatum averaged 25.7 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game. He scored 29 or more points in nine of Boston's 17 postseason games, helping the Celtics make the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in his three years on the team.
The extension caps off a pretty busy weekend for the Celtics. The team traded Enes Kanter on Friday before losing Hayward to the Charlotte Hornets via free agency on Saturday. Boston did add some depth bodies though, signing Tristan Thompson and Jeff Teague as free agents.
