The Boston Celtics are on the cusp of big roster changes.
Much has been written about Boston’s uncomfortable cap situation and its desire to cut costs this summer, but no one knows exactly who the Celtics are going to choose to move.
Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday are the two most likely chess pieces, but other non-Jayson Tatum players aren’t off the table.
That includes (gasp) … Jaylen Brown.
On Wednesday, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey discussed a trade idea sending Brown to another Eastern Conference squad, the Brooklyn Nets.
“Trading Jaylen Brown feels wildly unlikely, but trading him into cap space could put Boston within striking distance of ducking the new collective bargaining agreement’s dreaded aprons.” Bailey wrote.
Bailey then outlined the trade proposal.
“Jaylen Brown for Cam Thomas (sign-and-trade), Noah Clowney, the No. 8 pick in 2025 and a 2027 first-round pick (via Philadelphia) and a 2032 first-round pick.”
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“While this deal doesn’t get the Celtics … immediate help … it does land them multiple draft picks that could be used down the road or included in win-now trades,” Bailey continued.
“On the Brooklyn Nets end, fans probably wouldn’t be stoked to see three firsts headed out the door for a potentially cumbersome contract, but there isn’t a surefire All-Star on the roster. And Brown in this situation, as the clear Alpha scorer, would almost certainly be a sure-fire All-Star for years to come.”
“Brooklyn probably wouldn’t be a title contender after this deal, but the East will be down in 2025-26, and a core with Brown, Cameron Johnson and Nicolas Claxton would be competitive.”
Jaylen Brown in a Nets uniform, eh?
While this trade idea is somewhat attractive for Brooklyn, there’s no way Celtics GM Brad Stevens would consider moving Brown for a package like this one. The draft picks are enticing, but if the Celtics are going to trade their NBA Finals MVP Brown, they’ll expect to get at least one star or rising star back in the deal, and Cam Thomas, despite his scoring prowess, isn’t quite Him.
Thomas is a nice piece, but if Boston was open to moving Brown and made that known, the Celts would be able to acquire a much better package for JB than this one, especially from a player perspective. A team like the Houston Rockets would be able to provide similar draft capital to Brooklyn while adding in better players.
This isn’t a competitive enough offer for Brown.
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