Dave Litman
Is there some tension between Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics? Former NBA star & Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady said recently on his podcast that there were “deep issues” between Brown and the Celtics, though team president Brad Stevens and Brown himself denied it.
The team flamed out in the first round of the playoffs this season, shockingly blowing a 3-1 series lead against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Could Jaylen Brown be looking to move on? He had called this his most enjoyable season in the NBA. That’s saying something since he won a championship in 2024. But could his joy have been the opportunity he had to be THE MAN in Boston for most of this year? Jayson Tatum was out until early March, and perhaps taking the reins of his own team really appealed to Brown.
If that’s the case, he could get that on a full-time basis if the latest buzz comes to fruition. This wouldn’t be the first time that Brown has heard his name in trade rumors. But Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, speaking on NBC Sports, postulated that it could get more serious this summer.
It’s been a complicated relationship. He’s had to absorb trade rumors year after year. So if there is some tension, it’s understandable. But if there was an opportunity for Boston to trade Jaylen Brown, this would probably be the off-season…
One team is going to get Giannis (Antetokounmpo), and that will probably leave five or six teams out there with young players, picks, draft capital, and a whole bunch of stuff that they could potentially offer Boston for Jaylen Brown in a trade... They’re hearing the reports of tension, and wondering if there’s an opportunity to go get Jaylen Brown.
And you can make an argument, honestly, that acquiring Jaylen Brown is a better decision than acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo (based on age and recent injury history).
4 teams named as suitors for a Jaylen Brown trade this summer
Mannix then goes on to name four teams in particular that could fit that bill of shifting from a Giannis to a Jaylen trade focus:
- Miami Heat
- Houston Rockets
- Golden State Warriors
- Atlanta Hawks
Those are indeed the teams that seem the most linked to Giannis, along with the New York Knicks. Of course, in Houston, Brown would have a big Kevin Durant shadow over him, though KD could be dealt. And in Golden State, as long as Steph Curry is around, nobody else could ever be “the man.”
Brown finished the regular season with the best numbers of his career as he was the sole Alpha with Tatum out for the first 4 1/2 months. He posted 28.7 points per game, 6.9 boards, and 5.1 assists. He also took more field goal attempts (21.7 per game) and free throw attempts (7.5 per game) than he ever had before in his career. And he led the entire NBA in two-point FG attempts, at 16.0 a night.
Again, most of that will take a hit next season with Tatum back. So between that and the so-called “deep issues” between him and the team that his friend T-Mac spoke of, maybe Brown would welcome a new destination.
