NBA Rumors: Latest on Jaylen Brown, Buddy Hield, Paskal Siakam Contracts
The standout players from the 2016 NBA draft class are ready to get paid.
Jamal Murray and Ben Simmons each have five-year, $170 million max contract extensions, now Jaylen Brown, Buddy Hield and Pascal Siakam want the same kind of deal.
Brown has a four-year, $80 million deal on the table from the Boston Celtics but hasn't taken it, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
The 22-year old forward out of Cal believes he has the potential to be a star in the league, so he's holding out for more, Haynes reported.
Back in the 2017-18 season, Brown had a breakout year, averaging 14.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, helping the Celtics to within one game of playing in the Finals.
He also shot 39.5 percent from three that year and played 30.7 minutes a night.
The following season, though, those numbers went down.
In 25.9 minutes a night, he logged 13 points and 4.2 rebounds and shot 34.4 percent from deep.
Brown is seeking to re-establish himself this year in Boston and he's gotten a boost to that goal with his performance on Team USA this summer.
While the USA Basketball team did leave China with only a seventh-place finish at the FIBA World Cup, Brown emerged with an improved reputation thanks to his versatility and competitive fire.
That's likely driving his confidence moving forward.
"“Everybody says that they're not concerned with it, but in some way, shape or form they are," Brown told Marc Stein of the New York Times. "But to be honest, it's really not overwhelming me or ruling my thoughts. I know what type of talent I have. I'm confident in myself. I'm confident in my ability.
"It's not something that's keeping me up at night, if that's what you're asking."
As with all players selected in the first round of the 2016 draft, the Celtics have until Oct. 21 to reach a deal with Brown or he'll become a restricted free agent in July.
Brown is the first player to be offered a rookie extension by general manager Danny Ainge since Rajon Rondo, which bodes well, but Boston will also have to think about Jayson Tatum, who will be in the same boat next year.
Things are a bit tenser between Hield and the Sacramento Kings.
The former No. 6 overall pick was Sacramento's leading scorer last season, averaging a career-high 20.7 points per game, a 7.2 point increase from the previous year.
He also shot 42.7 percent from three, solidifying himself as a deep threat and an important part of the Kings' young core.
Sacramento showed Hield the money for his efforts, offering him a four-year, $90 million extension, according to Haynes, but he was reportedly insulted by those terms.
"I see it like an insult," Hield told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. "I feel like I'm worth more than that. If you say I'm your guy and you want to build around me, I just need you to show it. Actions speak louder than words. If you're just talking and not showing nothing, I'm not going to respect it. I love playing here. I want to be here. This is my home. I'm trying to buy a house here, but everything is on stall mode because I don't know if they'll really commit to me."
According to Haynes' sources, Hield wants his extension to be in the neighborhood of $110 million.
Hield definitely believes he has the upper hand in the negotiations, voicing his frustrations with the organization publicly, even threatening to go elsewhere.
"I don't know if things are going to get done," Hield told reporters (via Jason Anderson). "If it don't get done, me and my team will look somewhere else, probably look for another home. Until then, we'll see what happens here. That's the goal, to be here, and I love Sacramento. But if they don't want me here, they don't feel like I'm part of the core — I like respect and loyalty and I feel like I'm part of the group that's been getting the team back where it needs to be. So like I said I want to be here, but if they don't want me here I'll find somewhere else to be."
Then there's Siakam. The 2019 NBA Most Improved Player has all the leverage on the depleted Toronto Raptors team.
With Kawhi Leonard now gone to the L.A. Clippers, the Raptors can't afford to lose Siakam, too.
But to keep him, they'll have to fork over a max contract, according to Haynes.
That means they'll need to offer him the full five-year, $170 million by Monday's deadline.
If he does get the extension, and by all accounts, it looks like it's "almost a certainty" that he will, it will mean that Toronto's all-in on building its team around the former No. 27 overall selection.
Siakam is poised to make another leap as a player this year after averaging a career-high 16.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
The Cameroon-born forward made a reputation with his ability to create his own shot, come through in the clutch and defend on the perimeter.
He was a major contributor to the Raptors' first-ever NBA championship and the team will literally be banking on the hope that he'll build on that and make the jump to All-Star this season.
Follow Maurice Bobb on Twitter, @ReeseReport
