Boston Celtics star wing Jaylen Brown finds himself in the news around the Association for comments the All-Star recently made about his future in Beantown.
Brown was asked about his long-term future with the Celtics after trade rumors continue to pop up on a near never-ending loop. What he had to say was rather interesting.
“I don’t know. As long as I’m needed. It’s not up to me. We’ll see how they feel about me over time and I feel about them over time. Hopefully, whatever it is, it makes sense. But I will stay where I’m wanted. I will stay where I’m needed and treated correct.”
Jaylen Brown to The Ringer‘s Logan Murdock
In the midst of yet another stellar season, the 26-year-old Brown is set to become a free agent after the 2023-24 campaign. Just recently, he was brought up in trade discussions surrounding then-Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant before the two-time NBA Finals MVP was dealt to the Phoenix Suns.
Whether Brown remains in Boston, is dealt this coming summer or hits free agency in 2024, this situation will be talked about a ton around the Association.
We now have some more information on the Brown situation courtesy of Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. The NBA insider lists the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks as two of the most-likely landing spots for Brown.
They are joined by the Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls. Deveney also spoke to an executive around the NBA who said “probably half the league” would have interest in Brown.
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Jaylen Brown situation with the Boston Celtics spiraling
It’s no surprise that Brown would vent some of his frustration. He teamed up with Jayson Tatum to lead Boston to the NBA Finals last season before they ultimately lost to the aforementioned Golden State Warriors in the championship round.
Thus far this season, Brown is in the midst of a career-best performance for a Celtics squad that boasts a 50-23 record.
Jaylen Brown stats (2022-23): 26.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.4 APG, 49% shooting, 34% 3-point
It’s fair for Brown to be upset about all of the speculation. He’s just now entering the prime of his career and is a top option for a championship contending team. Boston’s flirtation with attempting to find an “upgrade” doesn’t really make too much sense when you take all of this into account.
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Jaylen Brown landing spots
There’s been some who believe that Brown wants to be seen as the top option on a team. As a legitimate MVP candidate, Jayson Tatum holds that title for Boston. Perhaps, Brown simply wants a team of his own.
It’s interesting to look at in that the only team of the five mentioned above who could potentially offer Brown that is the Chicago Bulls.
Golden State boasts Stephen Curry, Milwaukee is headed by all-world talent Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Los Angeles Clippers have the star-studded duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Meanwhile, a struggling Hawks team is centered around Trae Young.
A lot of it will depend on timing. If Boston is willing to listen to trade offers for Jaylen Brown this summer and assuming it is between the five teams mentioned above, Golden State could actually make sense. It has a stud young forward in Jonathan Kuminga to offer up.
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Sidelined for personal reasons, wing Andrew Wiggins is coming off a brilliant NBA Finals performance against these very same Celtics. Four-time NBA champion Draymond Green could also be an option in a potential sign-and-trade.
At this point, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Boston has a legitimate shot of hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June. Should that happen, this drama could solve itself. If not, more rumors surrounding a Jaylen Brown divorce with Boston could be in the cards.
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