With the Boston Celtics at the end of yet another disappointing end to the season, the Jaylen Brown trade rumors 2023 have taken off. There’s an ongoing debate about whether the Celtics should sign him, keep him, or trade him, and all options obviously have pros and cons.
Brown played himself into an All-NBA supermax contract. He could a mega deal this summer, and obviously, most of the Celtics offseason plans would hinge on that. With that in mind, we’ll take a look at some Celtics trade ideas and potential destinations for their two-way stud.
Jaylen Brown trade rumors 2023
The series versus the Miami Heat put the spotlight again on the Tatum vs Butler recent rivalry. But Brown was nowhere to be found and left a lot to be desired, leading people to doubt whether they should sign him to such a huge contract extension or separate their young duo once and for all.
Brown is one of the most promising players in the league, and he already has plenty of playoff experience despite his young age. That’s what makes the Jaylen Brown trade rumors 2023 such a tricky matter to assess, but we’ll do our best in the following paragraphs.
Blazers have two offers
It’s impossible not to think about the Portland Trail Blazers when talking about potential Jaylen Brown trade news. They have a clear need for another star, either to pair with Damian Lillard, or to trade for their franchise player altogether. Let’s break it down.
For starters, the Blazers could decide they’re not ready to compete for a championship right away, and decide to let Lillard go to a contender like the Boston Celtics, all while getting a young building block and a new franchise player. They could pair him with Anfernee Simons and this year’s third-overall pick to get ready for the future.
That would allow the Celtics to finally get a scoring guard and bonafide playoff performer like Lillard, and the Blazers would lock in their new franchise player for years to come while still having two young studs to build around.
The other scenario is a little different. The Blazers could give up Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little, and the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to get Jaylen Brown and make a last attempt to build a contender around Damian Lillard. The Celtics could then draft Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller, or even flip that pick for another All-Star.
Knicks get a star
The New York Knicks have craved a star for quite a while now. And they now have Jalen Brunson, who seems like a star in the making, but who clearly cannot compete on his own. But pairing him with a solid two-way player like Jaylen Brown could lead the team in the right direction.
The Knicks will have a new GM, so he might look to make a statement early in his tenure by adding another star. They could get Brown in return for RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, Josh Hart (sign-and-trade), and two future first-round picks. The Celtics would add plenty of depth and some valuable draft capital.
This might not be the flashiest scenario for either party involved. But Brown would get the chance to get a fresh start and become a legend in New York, all while the Celtics retool and reshape their roster around Jayson Tatum as they should.
Ime Udoka gets him to Houston
Jaylen Brown trade rumors 2023 have included the Houston Rockets more often than not, and for very good reasons. The Rockets just hired Ime Udoka, who had strong ties and a close relationship with Brown, so there’s an obvious fit right there.
The Rockets have made it clear that they want to compete now, not in the future. With that in mind, they might look to bring James Harden back, which means that there’s no more room for Jalen Green. Should that be the case, then they could also give up Jae’Sean Tate, the fourth-overall pick, and another future first-rounder.
This wouldn’t be the best thing for the Rockets’ future. Even if Green has picked up some bad habits on the court, he’s still younger than Brown and has a high upside. Harden isn’t getting any younger, and they still won’t be good enough to pursue a ring.
Homecoming to Atlanta
And last but not least, the Celtics could send Brown back home to Georgia with a blockbuster deal with the Atlanta Hawks. In this scenario, he and Malcolm Brogdon would go to Atlanta in return for Trae Young, Onyeka Okongwu, Bogdan Bogdanovic, their first-round pick in 2023, and another future first-round pick.
There has been a lot of talking about Trae Young reportedly wanting to leave, and the Hawks are fielding calls for their All-Star guard. He’d get a chance to play for a championship contender, and the Celtics would also bring in a young, promising, defensive-oriented big man and a sharpshooter, not to mention two future draft picks.
One could argue the Hawks would lose this trade, as they’d add two older players, and Brogdon might be redundant with Dejounte Murray also on the team. But if the rumors about Young outstaying his welcome in Atlanta are true, they could be adding by subtraction by letting him go and build around Murray or someone else. Maybe that’s all they need to get over the hump.
