"What is Jayson Tatum going to get?" - Stephen A. Smith reacts to Jaylen Brown's mammoth extension

Jaylen Brown agreed to the biggest contract in NBA history this week. ESPN’s usually boisterous NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith had a surprisingly calm take on the contract. However, Smith did propose one large question in regards to the deal:

“He is a star in this league and can flat out ball. But the first thing I thought when I saw that deal was, lord have mercy, what is Jayson Tatum going to get?”

Brown signed the supermax extension worth $304 million over five years. He will make $52.3 million in the first season of the new deal. He will then make a healthy sum of $69.1 million in the final year of the deal.

Smith agreed Brown is a star but thinks Tatum deserves more. Smith said Tatum will break Brown’s record when he is eligible for his extension.

“For all the things that Jaylen Brown is, the one thing he is not is the best player on the Boston Celtics,” Smith said. “That would happen to be Jayson Tatum.”

The young pair of Tatum and Brown have led the Boston Celtics to five Eastern Conference finals. Brown is only 26 years old and his new deal will keep him with Boston until the 2028-29 season.

Stephen A. Smith praises Jaylen Brown

Smith praised the Celtics for investing in Brown due to his young age. He thought the deal made sense despite the huge price tag.

“This makes perfect sense. You not only get paid for your level of production but also the projection of what your production will be down the line,” Smith said. “It is a good investment by the Boston Celtics. You have to do that if you are the Boston Celtics.”

Brown is a two-time All Star. He was also named to All NBA Second Team last season.

“I am not going to crucify him like many others in terms of how he played in the close out game in the playoffs in Game 7 against Miami,” Smith said. “He works hard. He shows up all the time. He is a star in this league. He plays on both ends of the floor. He does not engage in load management.”

Jaylen Brown will likely be passed as the richest man in the sport next summer. The new CBA and higher salary cap allows for supermax contract extensions for star players. The salaries of the top tier of NBA players will continue to skyrocket as a result.