Dave Litman
With the stunning revelation that the Denver Nuggets are now interested in a potential deal for Jaylen Brown, the Boston Celtics seem to have a growing market for their former Finals MVP. After he was very publicly offered up by the Celts in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, it seems that there is no going back.
“Rumors have persisted to the point that NBA executives across the league are wondering not if Brown will be traded, but rather when and where,” writes insider Michael A. Scotto of HoopsHype. He then goes on to note that there are now seven teams in pursuit of the Celtics’ five-time All-Star. They are, per Scotto, as follows:
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Toronto Raptors
- Denver Nuggets
- Brooklyn Nets
- Charlotte Hornets
- Atlanta Hawks
- Los Angeles Clippers
The Trail Blazers have been at the top of the list of Brown’s pursuers, as they look to make the leap straight into legitimate contention in the Western Conference next season. They’ll have Damian Lillard back as his recovery from the left Achilles tear he suffered in the 2025 playoffs is complete. He missed all of this past season. But Scotto insists that there’s one player that Portland will NOT be willing to part with in any talks for Brown, or anyone else. Burgeoning superstar Deni Avdija is coming off a huge breakout season with 24.2 points per game, 6.7 assists, and 6.9 boards. He is not available.
The Nuggets were named this weekend as a team that’s considering a run at Brown, with insider Jake Fischer noting that they are trying to ascertain whether they have the necessary assets to satisfy the Celtics. The Nikola Jokic/Jamal Murray combo is already a tough handle for opposing teams. Adding Jaylen Brown to the mix would be deadly. But whether or not Murray would have to be sacrificed as part of a deal is unknown.
Raptors become latest team linked to Jaylen Brown
The Toronto Raptors are an interesting addition to the proceedings. Their name usually comes up as a potentially interested party anytime a superstar name comes on the market. They’ve previously been linked to Giannis, Anthony Davis, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Ja Morant as well. And as Scotto points out, the Raptors have all of their own first-round draft capital all the way through to 2033.
The Nets also have first-round picks for each of the next seven years, so they also meet the draft asset requirements that would likely be involved in any Brown trade. And Scotto reminds us that Brooklyn “nearly acquired Brown in trade talks for Kevin Durant before pivoting to Phoenix’s package in 2023.”
The Hornets have a big piece that we know the Celtics are interested in, making their involvement an intriguing twist. Boston covets big man Naz Reid, who Charlotte just acquired in the stunning trade of LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves this past week.
“Before the LaMelo Ball trade, Boston desired Reid as part of Brown trade talks with Minnesota, as noted by The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. Reid once again was brought up in talks for Brown after joining the Hornets, Hoops Hype has learned,” writes Scotto.
The Hawks are building around Jalen Johnson as their main man, but having a chance to add the Georgia-born Brown would have to be something they’d be considering.
The Clippers’ No. 5 pick in last week’s NBA Draft was said to be a potential trade piece to get a Brown deal done, but that has come and gone. However, Kawhi Leonard’s future remains up in the air. There’s a lot of trade buzz around the two-time Finals MVP, and while Boston isn’t one of his preferred destinations, crazier things have happened.
In the end, it seems like Jaylen Brown has played his last game in Beantown, according to most plugged-in insiders around the sport.
“He’s gonna get traded,” Brian Windhorst said, flatly, on ESPN this past week.
“Jaylen Brown has played his last game as a Celtic”, added Nick Wright.
It doesn’t get any clearer than that. All that’s left is to answer those aforementioned questions: When and where.
