The Boston Celtics could be in trouble, down to the Miami Heat in the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals. And the future may be uncertain as Jaylen Brown’s contract status looms. But one thing is certain. Jayson Tatum’s next contract is going to be a pretty huge deal.
Jason Tatum contract
Jayson Tatum had to wait until the #3 pick in the 2017 NBA draft to hear his name. Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball are ahead of the Duke star, but Tatum is the one who has blossomed into a franchise star.
At the end of rookie Jason Tatum’s initial contract, the Celtics star signed a five-year, $163,000,300 maximum deal with the Celtics.
This contract will pay Tatum $32,600,060 in 2023-24 and $34,848,340 in 2024-25. Next, he has a 2025-26 player option for $37,096,620. However, the former Blue Devil wouldn’t go that far in Jayson Tatum’s current contract.
Tatum made the All-NBA first team his last two seasons, making him eligible for the designated veteran player extension (also known as the supermax extension). That means Tatum can turn down an extension next summer (2024) and sign a five-year extension starting in the 2025-26 season.
And the supermax extension would make Tatum an incredibly rich guy.
What is the Supermax supplement in the NBA?
A designated stretch for veterans is a type of NBA contract that players can sign if they meet specific criteria.
In order to be eligible for the supermax, a player has to play seven to nine seasons of the NBA or complete a rookie and expansion rookie deal (which is how Jayson Tatum qualifies). After that, the player must be All-NBA first, second, or third team or win the Defensive Player of the Year award in the last season before the extension or in the two previous seasons.
If a player won the Most Valuable Player award in any of the three seasons prior to the year of the contract, they would also be eligible.
When players qualify for this veteran supermax, the five-year deal can be worth 35% of their team’s salary cap and is subject to an 8% increase each season after the first.
To see what this will look like in 2023, let’s take a look at the estimated contract Jayson Tatum could sign in the summer of 2024. Keep in mind that these are currently estimates only by Spotrac because we don’t yet know what salary cap will be in the future.
Supermax Jason Tatum’s Potential Contract Will Be Approximately:
- 2025-26: $53,198,250
- 2026-27: $57,454,110
- 2027-28: $61,709,970
- 2028-29: $65,965,830
- 2029-30: $70,221,690
- Total: $308,549,850
That’s great for Tatum and good for the Celtics, who will wrap up their young star for the foreseeable future in 2024. It complicates things for the team, though, as Jaylen Brown made All-NBA tea this season, qualifying him for a SuperMax as well.
When the Celtics’ 2022-23 season finally concludes, these financial calculus will be front and center in the franchise’s tenure.
