Jaylen Brown may not be staying in Boston after all. Despite assurances from the Celtics organization that the All-Star forward was part of their long-term plans, ESPN is reporting that trade conversations involving Brown are still very much alive.
Brown was reportedly at the heart of a trade package Boston put together in an attempt to land Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks. However, Milwaukee ultimately chose a different offer from the Miami Heat. Any NBA trades that were agreed upon before the start of free agency will not become official until next week.
According to ESPN, discussions with other teams interested in acquiring Brown are continuing behind the scenes.
Brown, who turns 30 in October, is coming off the best statistical season of his career. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. He recently shared a video on social media showing himself training outside, declaring his drive to perform at an even higher level next season.
Team president Brad Stevens addressed Brown’s status ahead of this week’s draft, saying he had multiple in-person conversations with the player and views him as a key piece of the organization’s future.
“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,” Stevens said, referring to Brown and Jayson Tatum. “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.”
Brown just wrapped up the second year of a five-year contract worth $285.4 million. He earned sixth place in NBA MVP voting and was named to the second-team All-NBA squad — much of that accomplished while Tatum was sidelined recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.
A Boston fixture throughout his entire career, Brown earned MVP honors in both the NBA Finals and the Eastern Conference Finals when the Celtics captured the championship in 2008. Across 674 games, he has averaged 20 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and one steal per contest.
