Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens made clear Tuesday that All-Star guard Jaylen Brown isn’t going anywhere, calling him “a big part of us” — even as reports swirled about a failed trade attempt involving the star player.
Multiple news outlets reported that Boston put Brown forward as part of a trade offer to the Milwaukee Bucks in pursuit of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks ultimately chose to send Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat instead.
Stevens addressed reporters at the NBA Draft in Brooklyn on Tuesday evening but declined to directly confirm or deny the reported package, which reportedly included Brown along with two first-round picks headed to Milwaukee.
Brown, 29, was selected by Boston with the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. The five-time All-Star averaged a career-best 28.7 points per game last season as the Celtics posted a 56-26 record — largely without fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum due to injury.
“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens told reporters, per ESPN. “I’m never going to predict the future. Every indication, everything I think about, over the last few years, has been building around those guys. You never know. But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he’s always been. He’s been amazing. He’s been an amazing teammate and a great person to be around.”
Stevens also acknowledged that the constant trade speculation has been difficult for Brown to navigate, and said he made a point of staying in close contact with both the player and his agent.
“With all the rumor mill and all that stuff, and his name being splashed all over the place, that’s not easy,” Stevens said. “We certainly wanted to be as proactive and up-front with that as possible. I thought we had really good, candid conversations. … I’ll always keep our conversations private. I think it’s appropriate regardless of what the content of those conversations is like.”
Stevens added that the organization prefers to handle matters quietly rather than letting speculation run wild. “What I said is really true: I don’t love the fact any time it’s a big, public thing. We try to keep things as close to the vest and as quiet as possible. The rumor mill is the rumor mill, and there’s going to be a lot of noise out there.”
Brown still has three years left on a five-year, $285.4 million contract extension he signed in 2023. According to ESPN, he becomes eligible to sign an additional two-year, $141.9 million extension beginning July 26.
