Jayson Tatum vs Jaylen Brown Salary: Comparing NBA’s Two Biggest Contracts as Celtics Ownership Breaks the Bank for $618M Duo

If any two individuals deserve the most credit for the Boston Celtics’ recent championship win, they are the franchise’s lead scorer, Jayson Tatum, and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. The duo’s 7-year partnership hasn’t always been perfect, but their combined work has elevated the Celtics to a level it hasn’t witnessed since the 2007-08 championship season. They are, as some call them, the modern-day “Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen’ who have not gone unnoticed, as both individuals currently possess some of the highest-paying contracts amongst their counterparts. But this duo can pose a major problem for the Celtics’ front office with their exorbitant salaries.

So, what’s really wrong with their contracts? Let’s try to break them down.

The 2022-23 season saw Jaylen Brown delivering some of his best performances, averaging 22.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in the regular season. While his performance faltered in the playoffs, he was still granted the honor of being named to the All-NBA Second Team last year, which made him eligible for a supermax contract. This, along with the salary cap for players increasing year by year, ended up playing hugely in the player’s favor.

As he was in the middle of a robotics class at MIT, the shooting guard was informed that he had secured the biggest contract in the history of the NBA. Topping the earlier record claimed by Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, the Celtics offered Brown a five-year extension that would grant him a whopping $304 million over the course of the period. The amount was later reduced to $285.39 million. The extension would go into effect from next season onwards.

When officially breaking it down year-by-year, Jaylen Brown’s annual pay is expected to look something like this:

Jaylen Brown’s pay for the 2024-25 season elevates him amongst the top 10 highest-paid players of the upcoming season. This is a big change from his recent season when he didn’t even crack the top 25.

While the numbers may look big, Jaylen Brown will not possess more than half of that amount. Barely a few days after Brown’s new contract was official, ‘Profluence Capital’ Andrew Petcash provided a breakdown of the pay after taxes. According to him, if the player earns $60.8 million during a particular season, he will have to fork over at least $22.5 million in Federal Tax, $6 million in NBA Escrow, $1.8 million in Agent Fee, $1.4 million in FICA/Medicare, $1.8 million in Jock Tax, and 2.7 million in Massachusetts Tax. By the end of it, Brown would only take home $24.5 million.

Despite Jaylen Brown basking in the glory of possessing the biggest NBA contract in history, the crown only stayed with him for a year.

Less than a day ago, TNT Sports Insider Chris B Haynes broke the news that the Boston Celtics gave Jayson Tatum a supermax extension. It would keep the player with the team for an additional five years at $315 million. Not only is it $9 million more than what Jaylen Brown was offered last year, it is over $120 million more than the last five-year contract Tatum signed back in November 2020.

The pay rise comes after Tatum was named to the All-NBA First Team for three consecutive years (2022, 2023, 2024). When officially breaking it down year-by-year, the 9x NBA All-Star’s annual pay is expected to look something like this:

Just as he did for Brown, Andrew Petcash did not waste any time giving an official After-breakdown for Tatum. According to him, if the player were to make $62.8 million during the 2027-28 season, he would have to pay $23.2 million in Federal tax, $8.1 million in ESCROW and agent commission, $4.7 million in Jock Tax, and $1.4 million in FICA/Medicare to top it all off. By the end of it, Tatum would take home only $25.2 million.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum’s salaries may hold a difference when looking at the official numbers. However, even by the 2027-28 season, tax deductions would only cause the players to have a difference of $700,000 in their total income.

Is Wyc Grousbeck selling the Boston Celtics in light of the $200 million dilemma?

Having recently won the Larry O’Brien trophy, not many team owners would want to part with their team at this stage. However, Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck does not seem to be among them. A few hours ago, renowned ESPN reporter Arian Wojnarowski broke the news that Grousbeck and the ownership group, Boston Basketball Partners L.L.C., are looking to sell their majority stake in the Celtics. A final sale is expected to occur either in late 2024 or early 2025. While Grousbeck will remain the team’s governor, he will no longer possess ownership of the franchise that Forbes ranked as the 43rd most valuable sports team. An official statement highlighted Grousbeck selling the team “for estate and family planning considerations.” However, the actual reasoning may be something else.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum weren’t the only individuals who recently received an extension from the Celtics. Looking to keep the core alive, the franchise also provided a four-year, $125.9 million contract to point guard Derrick White, who accepted the same. These deals won’t cause much trouble for the Boston Celtics during the upcoming tournament. However, things will be different once Tatum and White’s extensions become active during the 2025-26 season.

According to a report by The Sporting News, the Celtics would be spending over $191.8 million on the salaries of its 12 players in 2024. In 2025, that number will increase to $210.3 million. As a result, the Celtics will cross the luxury tax, first apron, and second apron limits that were implemented in the most recent CBA guidelines. This will cause the Celtics’ ownership to pay more in penalties than what they spend on salaries as a whole. Furthermore, this will also limit their abilities when looking to make a trade, acquisition, or draft pick in the future.

Knowing that the Boston Celtics have been put in a difficult position through Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum’s combined $618 million pay over the next five years, Wyc Grousbeck may allegedly be selling to get himself out of a fix. Whatever the reason, the next owner will have to either pay heavy fines for the next few seasons or break up the team to save capital.

Before leaving, be sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about the Lakers legend’s infamous feud with the late Kobe Bryant.