The NBA world experienced shock waves on Tuesday when it was announced the Boston Celtics signed Jaylen Brown to the first $300 million deal in league history.
The extension comes after months of speculation about Brown and his future in Boston. He becomes the first of what is likely several $300 million-plus contracts that will be agreed upon in the future as the salary cap continues to drastically rise due to lucrative revenue deals by the league.
With that settled, the next question will be who will be the first player to reach the $400 million-plus mark on their next contract?
CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn tackled the topic in his latest piece.
The top candidates are players who are entering their prime and have already produced All-NBA seasons. As the cap space continues to rise by 10% each year, the first time the supermax can reach $400 million will likely be in the 2027 offseason.
The easiest person to put in this slot is Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named to his first All-NBA first team this past season after averaging 31.4 points on 51% shooting.
The 25-year-old’s production will likely not slow as he enters his prime. Due to no player or team options on his five-year, $179.3 million extension that kicked in last season, he’ll have a clean slate to be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027 at the ripe age of 29 years old.
On the flip side, he can sign a second extension with the Thunder prior to the final year of his current deal expires. If Gilgeous-Alexander goes this route to secure his long-term future in OKC, that will not deter him from signing a $400 million extension.
“Our prime candidate here is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who did not get a player-option on the last year of his rookie extension like draft-mates Doncic and Young, so if he wants to tack five years onto his deal, he will have to wait until the summer of 2026. If he does so and remains at the All-NBA level he reached last season, he has a real chance to become the NBA’s first $400 million player.”
It’ll take several years before we actually find out if this prophecy materializes, but at his current rate, it’s a safe bet to make Gilgeous-Alexander will be one of the favorites to land the first $400 million deal as the cap continues to rise.
