Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum can sign his rookie extension with the Celtics this offseason if he chooses, and the team will almost certainly have a max contract offer on the desk of agent Jeff Wechsler at the first available opportunity.
After the Celtics were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday in a 125-113 Game 6 loss, however, Tatum was asked about his pending restricted free-agent status and said he hasn’t given the topic much thought yet.
“That’s a tough question to answer,” Tatum said, when asked about the potential for a long-term stay in Boston. “I haven’t even thought about that yet. I was just focused on this season. The front office and my agent have to talk about it. But I’m not thinking about that right now. We just lost a series. Just thinking about the guys in the locker room and the games. That’s what I’m thinking about. Stuff like that, going to happen -- if it happens -- not really my concern, I’m not even thinking about that.”
The most likely scenario is that Tatum is offered -- and accepts -- a very lucrative max deal. He made an All-NBA team this year, which expands his earning potential, and most players who are offered rookie extensions sign them for financial security. For the first time, Tatum can lock in the generational wealth of an NBA star.
Since Tatum is a restricted free agent, he also has little choice unless he simply accepts the qualifying offer, which would be a major surprise and incredibly risky -- an option that essentially signals a player wants to leave his current locale. The Celtics can match any offer from another team if he signs an offer sheet, and they can offer him more anyway.
In other words, by far the most likely outcome is that Tatum remains in Boston. That’s what the Celtics want, and Tatum’s status as a restricted free agent means the Celtics have all the power as long as he doesn’t actively want to leave.
But Tatum wasn’t ready to think about any of that on Sunday.
“I’ll think about the great season we had, the great players, great job by everyone,” Tatum said. “It was a hell of a year, and I enjoyed it. I appreciate everybody. This was fun. I’m not really thinking about the other stuff right now.”
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