KEY POINTS

  • Jayson Tatum will only earn $9.8 million in 2020-2021 season
  • His salary for the current season is $7.8 million
  • The small forward has not spent a single centavo off his NBA salary 

Jayson Tatum is one of the NBA’s young stars, but he is still paid smaller than the league’s established superstars.

Tatum is only paid $7.8 million for the 2019-2020 season. The Boston Celtics are in the thick of the playoffs and the team has a great chance to go all the way for the Eastern Conference. The small forward is averaging 23 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists per game for the Celtics, All-Star numbers in their own right, but why is he still among the lowest paid in the team?

The former Duke Blue Devils standout signed a 4-year, $30 million contract to play for Boston in 2017, all of which are guaranteed. In the 2020-2021 season, the sweet-shooting combo guard will only earn $9.8 million, per Spotrac. If the Celtics go on to reach the NBA Finals and win the title with him leading, giving less than $10 million a season would seem like a criminal offense.

Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis
Could Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis go the other way in a trade? In this picture, Tatum of the Boston Celtics drives against Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, December 10, 2018. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

The 22-year-old’s future remains bright, he can still sign a supermax deal to stay with the Celtics once his contract is up or he can test the free agency market, in which he will have no shortage of suitors from other franchises. As good as he is even at a young age, Tatum remains grounded. His son, Jayson Christopher Tatum Jr., was born in 2018 and he is determined to save money as much as he can for his future.

Tatum admitted he still has not spent a single centavo off his NBA salary. He revealed that he spends the money he earned off lucrative endorsement deals. The father of one has reportedly collaborated with Gatorade, Imo’s Pizza and Honey Dew Donuts.

The St. Louis, Missouri native still has no signature shoes, but he has been wearing the Jordan brand in recent years. The 3rd overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft immediately made his presence felt in his first year. He narrowly lost the Rookie of the Year award to Ben Simmons but was named NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2018 and became an All-Star in 2020. His progress gives so much hope to Celtics hopefuls that the new star player is more than ready to lead the franchise back to its former glory.

The 2016 Gatorade National Player of the Year was featured in the McDonald’s All-American Game in the same year. According to COED, he had a stellar college career and averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, even though he only played just one year at Duke before declaring for the NBA draft.

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