Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics’ second star, has struggled in the playoffs, particularly against the Miami Heat. Despite being named second-team All-NBA, Brown’s résumé and skill set aren’t a no-brainer for a supermax contract. However, not being able to retain Brown would be a disaster for the Celtics. Brown’s train of alarming no-shows leads his team to a thorny, financially prohibitive predicament that will either destabilize their core and sabotage yearslong momentum or allow the Celtics to sustain one of the most impressive runs in the league.
Brown’s ability to score is an essential part of Boston’s elite offense. In these playoffs, though, despite a slight rise in minutes, his usage rate and scoring average have taken a noticeable dip. Down 0-3 to the Heat in one of the most shocking shellackings in recent memory, Brown is shooting a porous 37.7 percent from the floor, including 2-for-20 behind the 3-point line and not including an even more worrisome 2-for-4 from the charity stripe.
The Celtics may get washed out of the postseason, with Brown unable to exert his will against Miami’s string of overmatched individual defenders, but they don’t have too many realistic options that are ultimately better than offering their second-best player whatever it takes to keep him around. Short of Brown announcing his intention to explore free agency and break up with an organization that’s considered trading him in the past, a quick glance at the landscape, combined with Boston’s cap sheet, makes this scenario unlikely.
