Will the Celtics run it back again with Jaylen Brown?
That question becomes a little more pressing this offseason with Brown having one year left on his contract and eligible for a supermax deal after being named second-team All-NBA this season.
If the team believes the star combination of Brown, 26, and Jayson Tatum, 25, is good enough to win an NBA title, then the choice is clear.
They were not good enough on Monday night, however, with the Celtics getting blown out, 103-84, in a Game 7 Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Heat.
Tatum hurt his ankle in the opening seconds and Brown had a miserable performance as the Celtics were unable to complete an epic comeback after losing the first three games of the series.
Brown, who is set to make $32 million next season, was asked about his future postgame but was more concerned with what had just unfolded on the court.
“I expected to win today and move on,” said Brown, who finished with eight turnovers and shot of 8-for-23 from the field.
“That’s what my focus was on, that’s what my focus has been on, We failed, I failed, and it’s hard to think about anything else right now, to be honest. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
It is far from an easy decision for Boston.
The Celtics went 57-25 this season and were one win away from reaching the NBA Finals.
And it was a season that started in utter turmoil following the dismissal of coach Ime Udoka for having an affair with a team staffer.
Joe Mazzulla replaced Udoka and guided the team to a strong season, though was criticized for strategic decisions made in the playoffs.
A season ago, the Celtics went to the NBA Finals — losing in six games to the Warriors.
If team president Brad Stevens views recent events as a step back, he could decide a drastic move is necessary and attempt to trade Brown.
If the Celtics choose to hold onto Brown and not give him an extension, that comes with the potential for friction and the risk of losing the forward for nothing next offseason.
Brown and Tatum have now played together for six seasons and have reached the conference finals in four of those seasons.
It’s clear where Tatum, who said he was a “shell of himself” because of the ankle injury, stands on Brown’s future.
“It’s extremely important (for Brown to stay in Boston),” said Tatum, who just finished the second season of a five-year, $163 million contract.
“He’s one of the best players in this league. He plays both ends of the ball and still is relatively young. And he’s accomplished a lot so far in his career.”
