Jayson Tatum’s Extension Limits Celtics Flexibility

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum signed a massive contract extension on Monday.

The deal is worth $315 million over five years, making it the richest in NBA history. This surpasses Jaylen Brown’s $304 million deal from last offseason, giving Boston the two largest contracts in the league.

Impact of New CBA Rules:

New rules from the 2023 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) will make it harder for Boston to add more players to their team. According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks, changes like the first and second “aprons” above the luxury tax line limit teams’ flexibility when building rosters.

Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer explains that teams above this second apron face many restrictions. For example, they can’t combine player contracts in trades or use certain exceptions to sign new players.

Fans might think this makes things tougher for Boston.

Boston has planned well for its future though. They extended Derrick White’s contract by four years and Jrue Holiday also got a four-year extension earlier this year. Both are now under contract until 2028. Jaylen Brown is signed through 2029, while Kristaps Porzingis will be a free agent in 2026.

But if things go wrong, they won’t have many options to change course. They’ll also be paying big money during this time.

Spotrac says Boston already has $210.3 million committed for salaries in the 2025-26 season alone. ESPN adds that their total costs could reach $450 million when including luxury taxes!

“The NBA isn’t forcing teams to break up,” said an executive quoted by Bontemps and Marks. “But there are financial consequences and restrictions.”

Adam Silver mentioned he isn’t against dynasties but wants them built fairly: “I’m not anti-dynasty,” he said back in April according to ESPN.

In conclusion, extending Tatum was an easy choice but how successful it turns out depends on results over these next few years. What do you think about these big contracts?