Jayson Tatum — five-star recruit, lottery pick, All-Star, NBA champion and now highest-paid player in the league.
Tatum has checked just about every box in his seven-year NBA career, and the year of his dreams continued Monday with a massive new contract extension from the Celtics.
While Boston may face serious luxury tax penalties in the years ahead, the franchise is fully committed to keeping its title-winning team together. Derrick White agreed to a contract extension himself Monday, while Jrue Holiday inked a long-term deal in the spring and Jaylen Brown is just a year removed from a deal that made him the NBA's highest-paid player at the time.
There was no scenario in which the Celtics weren't going to pay Tatum what he was worth, even if it creates long-term salary cap concerns.
Here's a closer look at Tatum's net worth and updated career earnings with his mega deal in mind.
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Jayson Tatum net worth
Tatum's net worth is an estimated $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
As is the case for most athletes in the prime of their careers, that figure is very much fluid. The 26-year-old forward is not only set to see his salary skyrocket in the years ahead, but his long list of endorsement deals will likely grow now that he can call himself an NBA champion.
With a $63 million annual salary on tap starting with the 2025-26 season and Tatum still so young, there's reason to believe he could be among the all-time leaders in career earnings at some point down the line.
Here's a look at where Tatum's career earnings stand at this point.
MORE: Breaking down the Celtics' salary cap space
Jayson Tatum career earnings
Tatum has already made $120.6 million in career earnings before the age of 27 and well before his newly-minted extension kicks in. Here's a breakdown of his past earnings:
| Season | Cash |
| 2017-18 | $5.6 million |
| 2018-19 | $6.7 million |
| 2019-20 | $7.3 million |
| 2020-21 | $9.9 million |
| 2021-22 | $28.1 million |
| 2022-23 | $30.4 million |
| 2023-24 | $32.6 million |
| Total | $120.6 million |
MORE: Why Wyc Grousbeck is selling the Celtics
Below is a breakdown of what Tatum is in line to make in the years ahead, including after his record contract begins in the 2025-26 season:
| Season | Projected cash |
| 2024-25 | $34.8 million |
| 2025-26 | $54.1 million |
| 2026-27 | $58.5 million |
| 2027-28 | $62.8 million |
| 2028-29 | $67.1 million |
| 2029-30 | $71.4 million |
Tatum's projected career earnings by the end of his new contract are $469.4 million. Through the 2023-24 season, LeBron James is the only player in NBA history with more than $400 million in career earnings.
That doesn't mean Tatum and James will stand alone in 2030. As salaries rise across the NBA, plenty of other players already ahead of Tatum have a chance to reach the $400 million plateau earlier, including Kevin Durant this coming season. Still, Tatum would be just 32 by the end of the deal and likely would have at least one more lucrative deal in his future.
Jayson Tatum contract details
Tatum agreed to a five-year contract worth up to $314 million, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. He was eligible for a super-max contract after earning All-NBA selections in each of the last three seasons.
Tatum's deal makes him the highest-paid player in the NBA at $63 million per year, though it doesn't take effect until the 2025-26 season. Tatum will make $34.8 million next season before his salary jumps to $54.1 million in 2025-26 and rises each year through the duration of the contract.
