The Boston Celtics remain as favorites to repeat as NBA champions this season. But while they are in a good place to build a dynasty, there is also the specter of this entire thing crumbling as their expensive payroll takes its toll.
Bleacher Report’s salary cap expert Eric Pincus predicts the Celtics will have two of the top four worst-value contracts in the league when the 2026-27 season tips off two years from now.
In his top 10 worst-value contract list in the next two years, Pincus has Jaylen Brown at No. 4 and Jayson Tatum at No. 2.
Will Jaylen Brown’s Contract Become an Albatross?
Brown will be 30 by then and the Celtics will owe him $183 million over three years, including $57.1 million salary for that 2026-27 season.
“The sheer size of Brown’s contract puts him high on the list. The Celtics are the reigning champions, and they could defend that title this postseason.
But at what point did Boston do too much to reward its young stars? With the complex spending limitations of the NBA’s 2023 collective bargaining agreement, will Brown’s contract become an albatross when the bill comes due?” asked Pincus.
Brown was the star of the Celtics’ championship run last season after winning the MVP trophy of both their Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals triumphs.
His efficiency has declined this season — from shooting 50% overall and 35% from the 3-point line with 2.4 turnovers last season to 46% and 32% and 2.7 turnovers — but he’s been putting up career-highs in rebounding (6.1) and assists (4.7).
Can Jayson Tatum Live Up to His Historic Contract?
Despite Tatum getting outshined by Brown in their Eastern Conference Finals and their NBA Finals run, Celtics president Brad Stevens rewarded Tatum with the largest contract in league history — a five-year, $315 million deal – becoming the first player to reach the $300 million plateau.
In two years, the Celtics will owe a 28-year-old Tatum $259.8 million over four years with a staggering $71.9 million player option on the final season. His salary for the 2026-27 season will be $58.5 million, $1.4 million more than Brown will earn.
“Tatum’s contract is so massive that he has to be nearly at the top of the list. The salary the Celtics will pay Tatum is significantly higher than just about anyone else in the NBA. Can Tatum conceivably live up to it, especially with the league’s new rules in mind?
“He’s a talented player and one of the league’s top young stars, but that contract may not look great as veterans like Jrue Holiday and Al Horford age out and the team needs to restock for future runs,” Pincus wrote.
Jayson Tatum Chasing Larry Legend
However, Tatum’s age by then is the average peak of an NBA player. It’s hard to imagine Tatum declining in the next two years because he is so driven to become one of the basketball greats, not just a Boston legend.
“It’s like, where do I want to see myself when I get done? I think about who’s the best player to wear a Celtics uniform, and it’s Larry Bird,” Tatum told reporters after logging his fourth career triple-double against Philadelphia last week. “Even if I never reach that pinnacle, that’s the guy that, while you wear this uniform, you should be chasing.
“And so that’s in the back of my mind. You still see LeBron playing at a high level, KD, Steph. I grew up watching those guys playing, and I want the next generation to see me as one of those guys. So as much as I have accomplished already at 26, that was never just the goal. It was to be an all-time great.”
So barring any serious injuries, Tatum might end up more than deserving of that contract.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Celtics Predicted To Have 2 of NBA’s Top 4 Worst Contracts in 2 Years appeared first on Heavy Sports.