To be very frank, it is hard to see becoming contractually wealthier to the tune of nearly a third of a billion dollars is hard to see as anything but an absolutely absurd win. So to see that star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is seen as one of his team’s winners in the NBA’s 2024 free agency should very much not come as a surprise after he inked a deal for $315 million/ five years.
And that is the position taken by Bleacher Report league analyst Zach Buckley in a recent piece analyzing Boston’s summer signings. “Just because something is a formality, that doesn’t mean there is any less cause to celebrate,” he suggests, and it’s hard to suggest otherwise given what Tatum and the Celtics have accomplished.
“Tatum was destined for a supermax extension this summer, but it’s hard to think that dampened his enthusiasm over inking the richest pact in league history,” adds the B/R analyst. “In case he needed any validation after three consecutive All-NBA first-team honors, this helped showcase his place among the game’s greats.”
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“It’s been quite the summer for Tatum,” writes Buckley. “He captured his first championship in June, signed this historic pact in July, and is now spending August helping Team USA chase Olympic gold.”
One can make the case that an extension technically is not free agency, bit we can all agree it is a tool used to avoid the unrestricted sort — especially for players of JT’s ilk — so we will enthusiastically allow it.
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