On July 2, renowned sports journalist Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Boston Celtics have agreed to a five-year, $314 million contract extension with Jayson Tatum, which includes a player option and trade kicker.
This $314 million deal marks the largest contract in NBA history. Tatum had previously signed a five-year, $195 million max extension in November 2020. His salary for the next five seasons will be: $54 million for 2025-26, $58.4 million for 2026-27, $62.8 million for 2027-28, $67.1 million for 2028-29, and $71.4 million for 2029-30.
For comparison, Tatum’s final year salary surpasses the career earnings of some NBA stars, like Roy Hibbert, who earned $70,680,193, or Danny Granger, who made $71,140,777. At 26 years old, Tatum led the Celtics to their 18th NBA championship this year by defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals, surpassing the Los Angeles Lakers as the team with the most titles in NBA history.
Regardless of the long-term implications on the Celtics’ salary cap, extending Tatum was a straightforward decision. He has finished in the top ten of MVP voting for the past three seasons. In the 2022-23 season, he set career-high averages in points (30.1), assists (4.6), and rebounds (8.8) per game. As the face of the franchise and still in the early stages of his prime, Tatum played 74 games last season, averaging 26.9 points, shooting 47.1%, along with 8.1 rebounds and a career-best 4.9 assists. In the playoffs, he started all 19 games, averaging 25.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists.
Throughout Tatum’s career, the Celtics have made the playoffs every year, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals five times and the NBA Finals twice in the last three seasons. Drafted third overall by Boston in 2017, Tatum has developed into one of the NBA’s premier wing players, pairing with Jaylen Brown, who recently signed a record-breaking extension himself. However, the combined cost of the duo is substantial, with salaries of $107 million in 2025-26, $116 million in 2026-27, $124 million in 2027-28, and $132 million in 2028-29.
With the payroll now surpassing the second luxury tax threshold, any further roster moves will push the Celtics’ combined salary and tax totals over $400 million for the 2025-26 season. The Celtics also recently agreed to an extension with guard Derrick White. Now, every starter for Boston is under contract through at least the 2025-26 season. A five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection, including three consecutive First Team nods, Tatum’s impact on the Celtics is undeniable.
