5. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Understandably so, the recent narrative that has developed around Jaylen Brown over the past couple of months is the fact that he’s now the most overpaid player in the NBA. While that may be the case, depending on who you ask, after he signed a $300-plus million contract extension, we must also consider the facts when it comes to Brown. And the facts are that Brown is a really, really great player. Call him overpaid or not, but he’s proven that he can help carry a team to the NBA Finals.
Last season, Brown had a career year in which he averaged 27 points, seven rebounds, and four assists per game on 49 percent shooting from the field. He struggled in the playoffs a bit, as nearly every Boston Celtics player did, but he has proven enough over the course of the first seven years of his career that he’s due a brain fart or two in the postseason.
Let’s not forget that Brown was (probably) the best player for the Celtics in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors two seasons ago. The Celtics aren’t considered a perennial championship contender without Brown. He’s a huge part of the team’s future and is one of the five best shooting guards in the NBA.