Jayson Tatum Makes NBA History After Boston Celtics' Contract Decision

The NBA free agency period has officially kicked off, and teams are starting to make big moves to challenge the defending champion Boston Celtics next season.

The Celtics are also making major financial decisions. On Monday, they announced that they have reached an agreement with Jayson Tatum on a five-year, $315 million contract extension, giving Tatum the largest contract in NBA history.

Prior to Tatum's extension, the largest contract belonged to another Celtics star: NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, who signed his extension in the 2023 offseason. Boston also announced on Monday that they extended starting guard Derrick White, locking up their core for the foreseeable future.

Tatum is well deserving of his new extension. While helping bring Boston their 18th banner, the former Duke Blue Devils star also made the All-NBA first-team and has flirted with the NBA MVP award for the past few seasons.

Jayson Tatum (0) holds the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after defeating the Dallas Maverick in the 2024 NBA Finals. Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

In 2023-24, Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. He was in the top two for the Celtics in all three categories. Boston finished the regular season with a 64-18 record, giving them the top seed in the playoffs, where they went 16-3 on their way to a title.