Celtics’ Jayson Tatum agrees to 5-year, $314M extension


Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, left, celebrates next to Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca, right, near the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after the Celtics won the NBA championship with a Game 5 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, June 17, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Jayson Tatum is the newest member of the NBA’s $300 million club.

The Boston Celtics star has agreed to a five-year, $314 million contract extension to remain with the reigning NBA champions, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.

The new pact will begin with the 2025-26 season and keep the five-time All-Star in Boston through 2029-30 season, according to the person who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it has not been announced.

The Athletic and ESPN were first to report the deal.

READ: NBA: Jayson Tatum says past pain inspired Boston Celtics

When completed Tatum’s new, supermax contract will become the largest in NBA history, supplanting the one signed last offseason by teammate Jaylen Brown, when he inked 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% 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 2021.

READ: NBA: Jayson Tatum reflects on how being a dad changed his life, career

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.



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Raptors, Quickley agree on 5-year, $175M contract


Immanuel Quickley #5 of the Toronto Raptors reacts after scoring against the Dallas Mavericks in the first half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on February 28, 2024 in Toronto, Canada. Cole Burston/Getty Images/AFP

The Toronto Raptors and point guard Immanuel Quickley intend to agree on a five-year NBA contract that could be worth up to $175 million, a person with knowledge of the discussions said Friday.

Final terms were still be worked out, though the basic parameters of the agreement are done, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the discussions were not to be revealed publicly.

ESPN first reported the agreement, which cannot be executed until the offseason moratorium is lifted by the league on July 6.

READ: NBA: Raptors, Scottie Barnes agree on $225M extension

It is the second massive deal that the Raptors have essentially struck in recent days, the other being the max extension to Scottie Barnes — one that will be worth at least $225 million and could reach $270 million over five seasons.

And the agreement with Quickley makes clear that he’s another significant part of Toronto’s rebuilding plan.

Quickley was traded to Toronto in late December as part of the move that also brought RJ Barrett to the Raptors and sent OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks. Quickley started all 38 of his appearances with the Raptors, averaging 18.6 points and 6.8 assists in those games.

Quickley scored 25 or more points 11 times last season; 10 of them came after he was traded to Toronto. He had six or more assists on 24 occasions; 22 of those came after the trade.

Later Friday, the Raptors announced they have exercised the $23 million team option on the contract of wing Bruce Brown for the coming season. Brown averaged 10.8 points this past season.



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Kenny Atkinson signs 5-year contract to coach Cavaliers


FILE -.The Cleveland Cavaliers are hiring former Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson as their new coach. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

CLEVELAND— Kenny Atkinson’s first stint as an NBA head coach ended with a sudden, strange separation in Brooklyn.

He’s hoping for a longer-lasting relationship in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers finalized a five-year contract on Friday with Atkinson, who spent the past three seasons as an assistant with Golden State and now takes over a Cleveland team coming off its second straight playoff appearance.

In choosing the respected Atkinson, the Cavs ended a monthlong search that began after the firing of J.B. Bickerstaff, who led the team to 99 wins the past two seasons. Bickerstaff was let go after Cleveland lost in five games to Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

READ: NBA: Cavaliers hiring Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as next coach

“Kenny brings a wealth of experience, a proven track record of player development, and a relentless work ethic that aligns with the vision we have for this franchise,” said Koby Altman, the team’s president of basketball operations.

“His familiarity coaching alongside some of the NBA’s best elevates this partnership and we are excited that Kenny will guide our team and help us achieve our goals both on and off the court,” Altman added

The Cavs plan to introduce Atkinson — the franchise’s 24th coach — at a news conference on Monday.

“This is an incredible opportunity to lead an already talented young roster with an equally bright future,” Atkinson said in a statement. “I’ve seen firsthand and had to prepare for this group as an opposing coach, and the task was not easy. I’m so excited to now be on this side of the ledger to help continue moving this team forward.”

READ: NBA: Cavaliers to interview assistants Johnnie Bryant, Quinn

There was a delay in Atkinson signing his contract because he was in France helping its national team prepare for the upcoming Paris Olympics. He’ll be back in Europe next week for exhibition games with the French team.

Atkinson arrived in Cleveland on Wednesday and was in the team’s draft room when the Cavs selected Cal forward Jaylon Tyson with the No. 20 overall pick.

Atkinson’s hiring is another significant move in a pivotal summer for a Cleveland team that believes it has the necessary roster to compete for a championship. The next step — and perhaps the most important — is getting All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to sign a long-term contract, which he is expected to do.

The 57-year-old Atkinson is a safe, sound pick by the team’s front office and chairman Dan Gilbert, who hasn’t always handled coaching searches with aplomb. Gilbert’s outside-the-box hires of first-time NBA coaches David Blatt and John Beilein backfired badly.

Atkinson is far less risky.

He has the resume, highlighted by offensive success and a reputation for developing players. Atkinson began as an assistant under Mike D’Antoni in New York and has also been on staffs with Tyronn Lue and most recently Steve Kerr.

Atkinson won a title with the Warriors in 2022.

“Kenny is a great friend,” said Kerr, also the U.S. team’s coach who encouraged Atkinson to join the French staff. “He’s a great coach. That’s the reason Cleveland just hired him. And I was very lucky to have him the last few years.”

The Cavs are counting on Atkinson to bring out the best in their young players, particularly 23-year-old forward Evan Mobley, and take the team further than Bickerstaff could.

His experience with the Nets undoubtedly shaped Atkinson. Although his record wasn’t sparkling (118-190), he got Brooklyn’s players to buy in and the team made incremental improvements in each of his four seasons, making the playoffs in Year 3.

However, 62 games into the 2020 season, Atkinson was pushed out amid an ownership change and the ballyhooed arrivals of stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. His dismissal remains somewhat mysterious, one of those behind-the-scenes power struggles that percolate throughout the league.



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The Cavs were also drawn to Atkinson’s offensive ingenuity. Under him, the Nets were at the forefront of playing faster and shooting more 3-pointers, a trend that took off and was embraced by the champion Celtics this season.

OG Anunoby will stay with New York Knicks on 5-year deal


FILE – New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby (8) runs up the court after hitting a shot against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of Game 2 in an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, May 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

NEW YORK  — OG Anunoby will stay with the New York Knicks on a five-year NBA contract worth more than $210 million, a person with knowledge of the details said Wednesday.

Keeping the swingman was a priority for the Knicks after they flourished when Anunoby was in the lineup after arriving in December in a trade with Toronto.

READ: NBA: Knicks improve to 5-0 since OG Anunoby trade

The deal was first reported by ESPN, which said Anunoby’s deal would be worth $212.5 million. The person confirmed the details to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract is not yet official.

The deal comes a day after the Knicks agreed to acquire Mikal Bridges in a trade from the Brooklyn Nets and means New York will have two top defensive players on the wings. Anunoby led the NBA in steals in the 2022-23 season.

The Knicks went 20-3 with Anunoby in the lineup in the NBA regular season after sending RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Raptors, and outscored their opponents while Anunoby was on the floor in every one of those games.

READ: NBA: Knicks must weigh whether being healthy enough is good enough

They were up 2-0 on Indiana in the Eastern Conference semifinals before he had to miss the next four games after injuring his hamstring while scoring a career playoff-high 28 points in Game 2. Anunoby attempted to return in Game 7 but was still hurt and left quickly in the Knicks’ eventual loss.



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