Duke basketball superstar signs richest contract in NBA history

The summer of Jayson Tatum is only beginning for the Duke basketball sensation.

After winning his first NBA championship, taking center stage at the Boston Celtics victory parade, and throwing out the ceremional first pitch at a Boston Red Sox game, he now owns the richest contract in NBA history.

According to multiple reports, Tatum and the Celtics agreed to a 5-year, $314 million maximum extension on Monday afternoon.

He surpassed his teammate, Jaylen Brown, who signed a $304 million extension last summer -- which was the largest contract in league history.

However, Tatum will not hold the title for long as Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks superstar, will be eligible for a projected $346 million extension next offseason.

Jayson Tatum's contract, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, also includes a player option for the final year as well as a trade kicker, which functions as a no-trade clause to an extent. Should Tatum opt in to the final year of his contract, he would be scheduled to make $71.4 million during the 2029-30 season and become the first player in NBA history to earn at least $70 million in a year.

The former Blue Devil averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game this season while shooting 47.1-percent from the field and 37.6-percent from 3-point range. However, despite averaging 25.0 points per contest in the postseason, he was not named as the Eastern Confernce Finals Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals MVP.

It will not be long before Jayson Tatum is back on the court -- which was vital in the timing of the contract -- as he will report to Las Vegas later this week for the USA Basketball Men's National Team training camp as he will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, looking to win his second gold medal.