Two maximum deals were reached in the NBA on Sunday. Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum agreed to five-year, $195-million contract extensions offered by the Utah Jazz and the Boston Celtics respectively.

Having joined the league in 2017, Tatum proved that he's the one Boston needed to restore their past glories. Last season, the 22-year-old averaged 23.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He was named the All-Star and the All-NBA (Third) Team for the first time.

While raising his 3-point rate to 40.3 percent, Tatum also increased his triple attempts to 7.1 per game. He also earned more free throws (from 2.9 to 4.7) than before. Simply speaking, he improved his aggressiveness both inside and outside to become a sharper isolation player.

Mitchell was selected in the same class with Tatum. The differences were: Tatum was the No. 3 selection, Mitchell No.13; Tatum was 19 when he was selected, Mitchell 21.

Their deals are the same: $163 million is guaranteed and they will receive the remainder if they make one of the three All-NBA teams.

Unlike Tatum who can grow step by step along reliable teammates in Boston, Donovan had to become Utah's best player since his first day in the league. He averaged 20.5 points in his rookie season and has carried the team's offense for three seasons.

Mitchell was voted All-Star for the first time last season, but the playoffs gave him the chance to prove he can be something more than an All-Star. In the series against the Denver Nuggets, Mitchell averaged 36.3 points per game and dropped 57, 51 and 44 points in Game 1, Game 4 and Game 6 respectively. The wild scoring contest between him and Jamal Murray reminded fans of classical moments decades ago.

Marc Gasol joins Los Angeles Lakers

Spanish center Marc Gasol, 35, reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-year deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Back in 2008, when the purple and gold introduced Marc's brother Pau Gasol via trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, one of the assets they gave away was the draft right to Marc. Gregg Popovich, head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. called the deal "beyond comprehension."

He had good reasons to do so because the Lakers found the best help for Kobe Bryant via that trade and made the NBA Finals three straight times, winning consecutive titles in 2009 and 2010. By the way, the Lakers walked over the Spurs in the 2008 playoffs.

At that time, no one assumed that Marc would help the Grizzlies make the playoffs seven consecutive times, become one of the best centers in the league, win the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award and receive a ring in the Toronto Raptors.

Now Marc followed Paul's step to join the Lakers, though he is seven years older than his brother was in 2008. The rest of the league do not like it, just like they didn't like Paul's trade 12 years ago.

Marc can shoot both in the middle range and behind the 3-point line, thus he can stretch out the floor for both LeBron James and Anthony Davis. As a 2.11-meter-tall, 116-kilogram giant, Marc can tussle with monsters like Joel Embiid in the paint for Davis. As one of the best big-man passers in the league, Marc can enrich the team's offensive choices. Though he is already 35 years old, Marc is still a first-class defensive commander.

The Lakers had to send JaVale McGee (and a 2026 second-round draft pick) away to the Cleveland Cavaliers (in exchange for Jordan Bell, who's already waived and Alfonzo McKinnie) to sign Marc. As long as it can keep them competitive in the new season, it's worth it.

Toronto Raptors sign Aron Baynes, keep Chris Boucher

The Toronto Raptors introduced Aron Baynes on a two-year, $14.3-million contract, according to Charania, and retained Chris Boucher with a two-year, $13.5-million contract extension, according to ESPN.

Last season, though Toronto lost to Boston in the playoffs, they still had a great big-man pair of Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka. Then Ibaka joined the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year, $19-million deal before Marc went to the Lakers.

Their departures left quite an interior vacuum for Toronto to fill, hence the two deals above.

One thing in common in Baynes' and Boucher's contracts: there is a team option in for the second year. Toronto still want to keep enough salary space to chase Giannis Antetokounmpo next summer, no matter how slim their chances are.