Jayson Tatum is the newest member of the NBA’s 300 million club.
The Boston Celtics star has agreed to a five-year, $314 million contract extension to remain with the reigning NBA champions, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.
The new deal will begin with the 2025-26 season and keep the five-time All-Star in Boston through the 2029-30 campaign, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because it has not been announced.
The Athletic and ESPN were first to report the deal.
Once completed, Tatum’s massive new contract will become the largest in NBA history, replacing the one teammate Jaylen Brown signed last season, when he agreed to a five-year, $304 million deal.
Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and shot 47 percent from the field, earning first-team All-NBA honors for the third consecutive season. Those numbers translated into 25 points, 9.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game during his playoff run, in which he topped 30 points six times, including 31 in Game 5 as the Celtics won the game over the Dallas Mavericks.
This summer, he’ll look to extend his success as a member of the U.S. men’s team that will attempt to win a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal. Tatum was part of the championship team at Tokyo 2020.
News of Tatum’s deal comes the same day it was reported that teammate Derrick White agreed to a four-year, $126 million extension. Boston’s starting five — Tatum, Brown, White, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis — were already under contract for next season. With Tatum and White’s new deals, they will all remain together through at least the 2025-26 season.
The deal also came on the heels of the Celtics ownership group, led by Wyc Grousbeck, announcing plans to sell all of its shares by 2028.
Barring significant roster changes, Boston is expected to have a payroll and luxury tax that will top $400 million when Tatum’s contract kicks in.
2024-07-02 00:58:00
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