Is there some tension between Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics? Former NBA star and Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady recently said on his podcast that there were "deep issues" between Brown and the Celtics, although team president Brad Stevens and Brown himself denied this.
The team performed brilliantly in the first round of this season's playoffs, taking a 3–1 series lead against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Is Jaylen Brown looking to move on? He described it as his most enjoyable season in the NBA. That's saying something since they won the championship in 2024. But could his happiness have been the opportunity he got to be The Man in Boston for most of this year? Jayson Tatum was out until the beginning of March, and perhaps Brown really liked taking the reins of his team.
If that's the case, he could get it on a full-time basis if the latest discussions are successful. This wouldn't be the first time the Browns have heard their name in trade rumors. But Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, speaking on NBC Sports, said it could get more serious this summer.
It has been a complicated relationship. He has to absorb trade rumors year after year. So if there is any tension, it is understandable. But if there was an opportunity for Boston to trade Jaylen Brown, it would probably be this offseason...
One team is going to get Giannis (Antetokounmpo), and that will probably leave five or six teams out there with young players, picks, draft capital and a whole bunch of stuff that they can potentially offer Boston for Jaylen Brown in a trade... They're hearing reports of tension, and wondering if there's an opportunity to take Jaylen Brown.
And you could honestly argue that acquiring Jaylen Brown is a better decision than acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo (based on age and recent injury history).
4 teams named as contenders to trade Jaylen Brown this summer
Mannix then specifically names four teams that could fit the bill to shift from Giannis to Jaylen trade focus:
- Miami Heat
- Houston Rockets
- Golden State Warriors
- atlanta hawks
These are actually the teams that seem to be most linked to Giannis, along with the New York Knicks. Undoubtedly, Kevin Durant will loom large over Brown in Houston, although KD could be dealt. And in Golden State, as long as Steph Curry exists, no one else can ever be "the guy."
Brown finished the regular season with the best numbers of his career as he was the only alpha player out-scoring Tatum for the first 4 1/2 months. He posted 28.7 points, 6.9 boards and 5.1 assists per game. He took more field goal attempts (21.7 per game) and free throw attempts (7.5 per game) than ever before in his career. And he led the entire NBA in two-point FG attempts, at 16.0 per night.
Again, much of this will be impacted next season with Tatum's return. So between that and the so-called "deep issues" between him and the team that his friend T-Mac talked about, perhaps Brown would welcome a new destination.
