Brian Windhorst Had Some Earth Shattering News That The Celtics Will "Most Likely" Offer Jayson Tatum A Max Contract This Summer

(Source) - With Jayson Tatum eligible for a contract extension this offseason, the Boston Celtics star can reportedly expect to receive a max offer from the team. 

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on SportsCenter that the Celtics will "most likely" make a max contract offer to Tatum:

"If Jayson Tatum is the superstar that they envisioned when they began this whole rebuilding process when they traded Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce for all of those draft picks hoping to land a player like this, we could see 'Glory Days' for the Celtics again. But it's very much up in the air, and I'm gonna tell ya, they're gonna have to pay him like it because after this season ends, he is going to get most likely a max contract. They're going to bet that he becomes that player."

Hey Brian, uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ya think? I understand we're in the middle of a hiatus right now and NBA news is scarce at the moment, but what did I just read? In fact, I wouldn't even call this a "most likely" scenario. By my estimation, there are only two reasons why the Celtics would not offer Jayson Tatum a max rookie extension this summer

1. A giant asteroid finally hits the earth and we all explode, thus cancelling all future NBA seasons

2. Tatum decides to take a team friendly discount

I'd say Option 1 is more likely to happen. You think it's cheap keeping Deuce so fresh? If there was any doubt heading into this season that Tatum would develop into a max caliber player, those questions were answered rather quickly. Pretty much from his time with Team USA, you could tell he looked different. Then he had an All Star caliber first half. He then solidified his max extension in February when he went absolutely nuclear

It's pretty simple. Danny Ainge has now changed course and can't stop giving out extensions to his home grown talent. I'm sort of breaking the rules and counting Smart's extension once he hit RFA instead of signing early, but that's because he turned down the offer. Danny still made it. Then you have this past summer when Jaylen got his bag. Remember how people clowned that deal? Saying he was overpaid and Ainge was an idiot. He's not an idiot you're an idiot. It took less than opne month for Jaylen to prove that deal is actually a steal. 

Well now he's going to have to pony up for Tatum and Wyc is going to have no problem writing the check. The second you didn't trade for Anthony Davis you made the decision your future was going to be building around the two Jays. Obviously in order to do that you have to sign them both. To sign Tatum, it's going to take the max whether you do it now or in RFA after next season so you may as well do it when the cap is going to be slightly lower right? I can already see that phone conversation between Tatum and Ainge now

I'm just relieved Windy finally put any doubt to rest and broke the news that Jayson Tatum is going to get the max. No fucking shit Windy. We've been knowing that since 2017. Welcome to earth.