Jaylen Brown’s future with the Boston Celtics is as uncertain as ever. With two years remaining on his contract, it’s a legitimate possibility that Brown bolts in the summer of 2024, or even request a trade this offseason.
A recent article by the Ringer suggested as much. Brown may feel underappreciated by the Celtics’ organization and could look for a larger role elsewhere.
If that turns out to be the case, many teams will be interested in a player with Brown’s skillset. He does everything you could ask for from a basketball player, being able to defend guards and wings at an elite level, create off the dribble, knock down perimeter shots, and make plays for his teammates.
Brown’s wide-ranged skillset won’t make him easily obtainable, but there are still teams with the assets needed to acquire the two-time all-star. Here are those teams’ potential trade packages.
Houston Rockets
The Package: Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jae’Sean Tate, 2024 first-round pick via Brooklyn, 2025 first-round pick via Brooklyn or OKC
How it benefits the Celtics
This trade would have the Celtics taking a step back, acquiring two age-21 and younger players in Green and Sengun as the main return of the package. However, with Jayson Tatum only in his mid-20s, maybe it would make more sense for Boston to prioritize the future. This trade would allow them to do so while remaining competitive.
Green has shown flashes of stardom in Houston, despite facing inefficiency issues and lacking effort on the defensive end. However, that’s to be expected as a 21-year-old playing for one of the league’s worst basketball teams. Being in a winning culture in Boston should help his development.
Sengun has similarly shown flashes of stardom, as his playmaking out of the post has already drawn comparisons to Nikola Jokic. In addition, the Celtics would acquire Jae’Sean Tate, a solid role player at 27 years old, along with two first-round picks.
How it benefits the Rockets
At first glance, it might not make sense why the Rockets, a team who will finish as one of the worst in the league, would cash in its assets on a star player. However, Houston could turn things around faster than expected, with over $90 million available in cap space this offseason. Reports have already indicated they plan on advancing to the next step of their rebuild this summer.
Rumors have been circulating that James Harden plans on returning to Houston. If so, Brown would be the perfect sidekick, providing lockdown defense and elite scoring alongside Harden’s playmaking. They would form a formidable duo, and possibly the best duo throughout the Harden era in Houston.
Atlanta Hawks
The Package: Deandre Hunter, A.J. Griffin, Onyeka Okongwu, 2024 first-round pick via Sacramento
How it benefits the Celtics
Brown is obviously the best player in this package, but Hunter, Griffin, and Okongwu would add up to a similar impact. Additionally, all three players are 25 or younger, meaning they would progress on the same timeline as Tatum.
Hunter is likely the most intriguing piece out of this package. He’s reminiscent of a younger Brown (though he’s only one year younger). He’s shown glimpses of stardom but overall has played the role of a 3 and d wing without too much shot-creation ability. Perhaps Boston could develop him similarly to how they developed Brown.
Additionally, Griffin has shown promise as a rookie, and Okongwu has performed well in his role as a backup center. He would be a nice insurance policy for the injury-prone Robert Williams III.
How it benefits the Hawks
Trading for Brown a year after trading nearly all their draft capital for Dejounte Murray would leave the Hawks with little roster continuity. But taking this massive of a risk might be Atlanta’s only chance of reaching the heights they sought out in last year’s offseason gamble. In other words, they’re going double or nothing.
Brown would provide much-needed defense and outside shooting, as the Hawks rank 21st in three-point-percentage and 22nd and defensive rating. And of course, he would provide a scoring punch of roughly 27 points per game.
New York Knicks
The Package: R.J. Barrett, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, 2023 top ten protected first-round pick via Dallas, 2025 first-round pick via Milwaukee
How it benefits the Celtics
Similar to the Hawks’ package, this offer would provide the Celtics with three players who aren’t near Brown’s level individually, but all-in-all would have a similar impact. Barrett, Toppin, and Quickley are also all young players who are probably still far from their ceilings.
Barrett’s fourth season is coming to a close and he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. An inconsistent jump shot and lack of elite ball control have held him back, but he’s still only 22 years old and has shown the ability to contribute to winning basketball. Perhaps being in a more winning situation could help him reach his ceiling.
Quickley, on the other hand, has already exceeded expectations for his career at only 23 years old, competing with Celtics’ guard Malcolm Brogdon for Sixth Man Of The Year honors. Toppin is also an intriguing young prospect who, in the right situation, could be a very impactful player, yet hasn’t seen the court all that often in his first three seasons.
How it benefits the Knicks
The Knicks passed on the chance to acquire Donovan Mitchell last summer due to Utah’s extremely high price tag. That decision surprisingly paid off, as New York has had a successful season, soon to finish fifth in the Eastern Conference. However, many still anticipate New York to be in the market for a star player this summer.
Brown would fit the bill. His high-intensity play would certainly be appreciated by Head Coach Tom Thibodeau, and he would provide a scoring boost that could take the Knicks over the top in the postseason. Additionally, the price tag isn’t too high, only having to give up two young players who have struggled to develop in New York, one great young player who as impactful as he is, may never flourish behind Jalen Brunson, and two out of the 6 picks the team owns in the next two years.
Chicago Bulls
Bulls trade – Demar DeRozan, Zach Lavine, 2027 top eight protected first-round pick
Celtics trade – Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Grant Williams (Sign and trade)
How it would benefit the Celtics
Unlike the other three potential trade packages, this offer would help Boston remain championship contenders, and would arguably make them even better. They would have to give up Derrick White and Grant Williams in addition to Brown to match salaries, but it’s not entirely clear whether the Celtics want to pay Williams this summer, and Lavine would have to take some of White’s minutes anyway.
Having two elite scorers next to Tatum would make Boston nearly unstoppable, and even with the loss of Brown, Boston is good enough defensively to make up for Lavine and DeRozan’s weaknesses on that end of the floor, unlike Chicago, who struggles on that end because of them.
How it would benefit the Bulls
While the Bulls managed to secure a play-in spot this season, they would have to achieve far more success to prove that the DeRozan and Vucevic experiment was worth it. Unfourtnently, Lonzo Ball’s injury seemed to be the key reason behind their collapse, but regardless, it’s time to move on. This trade would allow them to do so without abandoning all hope of winning games.
Brown is a much better all-around player and is younger in comparison to Lavine and DeRozan. Grant Williams would be a nice pickup as well, shoring up their issues at the power-forward spot. Most importantly, this deal would allow them to move off of Lavine’s five-year, $215-million contract, which has quickly proven to be an overpay. With some more roster-tinkering and player development, the Bulls could be a solid team soon after this trade.
Denver Nuggets
Celtics trade – Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard
Nuggets trade – Michael Porter Jr., Zeke Nnaji, Christian Braun, 2026 first-round pick swap, 2029 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks
How it benefits the Celtics
This trade would be somewhat of a balance between building for the future and trying to win right now for Boston. Despite both players being under 22 years old, neither Nnaji nor Brown are seen as particularly high-ceiling players, but they both have already proven to be solid role players in Denver.
Porter Jr., on the other hand, is a big upside play. That’s not to say he isn’t already a good player; he’s averaging 17 points per game on 48% shooting from the field and 41% from three. But his upside is even more appealing that his current impact. At 6’10” with a seven-foot wingspan and a silky smooth scoring game, Porter Jr. has drawn comparison to Kevin Durant (like every other tall wing who shows some ability to shoot and handle the ball). But Porter Jr. is extremely talented, and if he can even come close to the player that Durant is today, he would make this trade a steal for the Celtics.
How it benefits the Nuggets
Entering the playoffs as the first seed in the Western Conference, Denver has a chance of winning it all this year. If they do, then disregard this trade. But if they fail to win the title, then this trade is a real possibility.
Without much draft capital at their disposal, Denver’s chances of acquiring a star, specifically Brown, are slim. But if Boston believes in Porter Jr.’s talent, which is quite polarizing, then Brown would make the Nuggets championship favorites.
A player that talented might be what Denver needs to win it all. We’ll see if that’s the case this postseason.