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Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was not named to the All-NBA Team for the 2020-21 season. Tatum was named to the All-NBA 3rd Team for 2019-20.
By virtue of not being named All-NBA again, Tatum does not qualify for the Designated Player Rookie Extension. Tatum will now make 25% of the cap in the first year of his five-year, maximum extension vs 30% of the cap.
Based on current projections, that means Tatum’s salaries for the life of his extension will be:
- 2021-22 - $28,103,500
- 2022-23 - $30,351,780
- 2023-24 - $32,600,060
- 2024-25 - $34,848,340
- 2024-25 - $37,096,620 (player option)
- Total - 5 years, $163,000,300
For the season, Tatum boosted his numbers nearly across the board. He averaged career-bests in points (26.4 PPG), rebounds (7.4 RPG) and assists (4.3 APG). Tatum’s shooting remained very good as well, despite taking on a bigger role in the Celtics offense than ever. For the season, he shot 45.9% overall, 38.6% from behind the arc and a career-high 86.8% from the free throw line on a career-best 5.3 free throw attempts per game.
Tatum garnered several awards throughout the 2020-21 season. He was named to his second straight All-Star team and ended up starting the game as an injury replacement. Tatum was also named Eastern Conference Player of the Week three different times during the season.
In a game against the San Antonio Spurs on April 30, Tatum tied Larry Bird’s single-game scoring record for Boston with 60 points. In that outing, Tatum shot 20-of-37 from the floor, including 5-of-7 from three, and 15-of-17 at the free throw line. The Celtics erased a 32-point deficit in that game, with Tatum leading the way.
Earlier in the day on Tuesday, Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reported that Tatum would join Team USA for the Olympics this summer. Tatum previously played with Team USA during the 2019 FIBA World Cup. That summer, Tatum only appeared in two games, due to suffering an injury. Tatum will become the first Celtic to play for Team USA in the Olympics since a retiring Larry Bird was a part of the Dream Team in 1992.