Jaylen Brown has started contract extension negotiations with Celtics

Jaylen Brown is part of a very small pool of NBA players that operates without an agent. He signed his rookie deal without one in 2016, a move that makes plenty of sense given the fact that his deal for the No. 3 draft slot is based on a set scale, meaning there is essentially no negotiation involved.

That reality changes though this fall, as Brown is eligible to agree to a contract extension with Boston ahead of an October 21st deadline. A trio of notable first-round picks have already agreed to terms on a long-term pact with Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray (five-year max) setting the market and Caris LeVert (three years, $52 million) signing a more modest extension with the Brooklyn Nets.

The Celtics have a lengthy track record (10 years) of not coming to terms on an extension with their first-round picks, and that’s a reality that Brown is very much aware of as he begins negotiations with Danny Ainge and company. Brown confirmed to BSJ that the Celtics have reached out recently to begin discussions.

“I’ve been able to watch these guys for three years,” Brown told BostonSportsJournal.com. “They have their process. They like to take their time. There is no rush at all. I don't know if they feel rushed. I hope they don't. There is no rush. They will figure it out or not figure it out. Either way is fine with me.”

That measured mentality should serve Brown well when it comes to negotiations, but it’s a far different situation than his rookie contract when it comes to dollars and cents. With so much uncertainty up in the air, I spoke with Brown about his talks so far and whether he was considering hiring an agent to handle future negotiations that could get personal.

“I like how it is now,” Brown said of his current situation without an agent. “Right now, I'm focused on the basketball side and that stuff will take care of itself. Whatever happens, I'm not stressing out or having any anxiety. I'm not losing sleep…I kind of like the way things are now. Right now, I'm focused on all basketball. The smallest of details are not too big for me.”

Brown is one of several high-profile picks from the 2016 draft class that will face a tricky choice when weighing the risk vs. reward of a long-term extension this month. An underwhelming 2020 unrestricted free agent class should provide a higher potential upside for heading into the summer of 2020 with no long-term deal. However, a lack of teams with sizable cap room in 2020 could leave the number of suitors at a lower level than anticipated. Some players may like the extra security of having big money locked up for the next four or five years, but Brown is fully confident that his contract year status won’t impact his play on the floor if no deal is reached.

“I don't really have any pressure,” Brown explained. “I think I'm secure in terms of my mindset and how good I think I am. I think I can play. I know I have talent and I think I have potential. I think I'm nowhere near my peak despite what everyone else may have to say. That's fine. I think that I have a lot of room to grow. I'm 22, and I'll be 23 next month and nobody has seen my full capability yet. They think I've peaked my second year in the league and I think they're wrong.”

Brown went through a lot on the court in Boston over the past 12 months, as no one was probably impacted more from a playing time standpoint last year than the fourth-year wing thanks to a slow start and added depth. The former No. 3 pick handled his demotion to the bench in stride though and was praised by Ainge personally at the end of the season in his exit meeting for how he conducted.

“I didn't say much in my exit meeting," Brown recalled. “But he said, 'Out of anybody, you handled your situation the best.’ We appreciated and took notice of that. We're thankful that you did that.' For me, it's not about what happened to you in the situation, I guess it's just how you respond to it.

"I made the decision during the season that no matter what happens, I'm just going to keep going. No matter the situation, no matter what anybody says. I just kept feeling like things weren't swinging in my direction. It just seemed like I had bad luck -- it wasn't designed for me. I didn't complain. I ended up finishing out the year a lot better than I started just because I made that decision. I knew it wasn't designed for me but there was two ways I could go forward. I could mentally let this kind of bother me or kind of keep pushing through it and see what happens. I think I finished out the year a little better than I could. I definitely think I'm capable of doing a lot more but last year I think I ended on a solid note. That was something to be proud of I guess.”

While the season did not end for the team the way Brown wanted, it will be fascinating to see how the Celtics elect to handle Brown’s situation now. They retain his rights and the odds are strongly in favor of them waiting things out until next summer, but they could build goodwill by making a competitive offer now (even if Brown doesn't accept). For the time being, it sounds like Brown has set an asking price for himself and is waiting to see whether the Celtics are willing to approach it.

“Obviously, the ball is in the Celtics' court," he said. "Whatever they want to do, I'm okay with. We'll see what decision they make. Based off the information, I'll make the best decision I can.”