Demetrius Jackson signs massive deal for second-round pick

By Greg Hadley | Jul 27, 2016

Mar 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Demetrius Jackson (11) reacts after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers during the second half in a semifinal game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Notre Dame won 61-56. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

The details of Demetrius Jackson’s recent contract with the Boston Celtics emerged Tuesday, and the former Irish guard is set to make big money for a second-round rookie.

A few days ago, the news came out that Jackson, who had had a middling Summer League after falling out of the first round of the NBA Draft in June, had signed a guaranteed contract with the Celtics to assure himself a roster spot this season. The specifics of the deal weren’t available at the time though, so we didn’t know how much Jackson’s rough draft night had cost him financially.

As it turns out, the answer is not that much.

According to a league source, 2nd round pick Demetrius Jackson has finalized a four-year, $5.5 million deal with the Celtics.
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) July 26, 2016

Four years, $5.5 million. That’s simply astonishing. Besides being one of the biggest contracts doled out to a second-round rookie in league history, this deal essentially equates Jackson with the No. 23 overall pick in the draft, based on the NBA’s rookie scale.

This isn’t the first time the Celtics have given a second-round pick good money and long-term security. Last year, they signed Jordan Mickey to a four-year, $5 million contract. The reason they do that is simple: Boston is willing to make a financial hit now in order to retain the player’s rights for a longer time, in hopes that the player will emerge as a contributor.

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The NBA’s pay structure, salary cap and free agency situation are about as complicated as any professional sports league in the world, but here’s how that works in basic terms: Second-round draft picks don’t get the guaranteed roster spot and two years’ worth of money that goes to first-rounders. Instead, they can negotiate any contract they want.

Mostly, that has led to league minimum deals (just over $500,000) without any guaranteed money in the past. The only problem with that is when a second-round pick does pan out, the team who drafted him is left with no control long-term. Bird Rights in the NBA allow a team to go over the salary cap to sign a player, but they only kick in when that player has been with the team for three or more years.

So those four-year deals the Celtics have been making are strategic. If Jackson turns out to be an NBA talent, by the end of his contract Boston will be able to offer him a bigger deal than most other teams.

For Jackson, the contract has the benefits of long-term security and good money for a second-round pick, but he does sacrifice the ability to test the free agent waters in the near future for a bigger contract in the near future.

Next: Notre Dame basketball: Summer League roundup

It’s all very messy, and there are a lot of competing interests to consider here, but the bottom line is Jackson has given himself several years in the NBA to prove himself for a salary that’s way above expected. It’s a safe choice on his part, instead of risking it all on his ability to play well and earn a big deal a year or two from now, but ultimately I believe it’s a wise one.