Jayson Tatum‘s historic deal with the Boston Celtics is now official as he joins the NBA’s $300 million club.
Boston announced the deal Saturday. Although terms of the deal were not disclosed, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Monday that the Celtics star agreed to a five-year, $314 million contract extension weeks after capturing his first NBA championship.
The contract will begin with the 2025-26 season and keep the five-time All-Star in Boston through 2029-30 season.
Tatum’s new, supermax contract is the largest in NBA history, supplanting the one signed last off-season by teammate Jaylen Brown, when he put pen to paper on a five-year deal that will pay him up to $304 million.
Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and shot 47 per cent from the field in earning All-NBA first-team honors for the third consecutive season. Those numbers grew to 25 points, 9.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game during a playoff run in which he eclipsed 30 points six times, including 31 in their championship-clinching Game 5 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
He will look to add to his hardware this summer as a member of the U.S. men’s basketball team when it attempts to capture its fifth consecutive gold medal. Tatum previously won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
News of Tatum’s deal came on the same day that fellow Celtics starter Derrick White reportedly agreed to a four-year, $126 million extension. All five of Boston’s starters –- Tatum, Brown, White, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis — were already under contract for next season. With Tatum and White’s new agreements they now all could be together through at least the 2025-26 season.
The deal also came on the heels of the Celtics ownership group, led by Wyc Grousbeck, announcing its plans to sell all of its shares by 2028.
Barring any significant roster changes, Boston is expected to have a combined payroll and luxury tax that will exceed $400 million when Tatum’s contract takes effect.
— With files from the Associated Press.