The Boston Celtics struck out on Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the situation remains volatile with veteran swingman Jaylen Brown, who was part of the failed Giannis trade talks. With the relationship between Brown and the Celtics at an all-time low, a trade looks likelier than ever, and some early negotiations may have already been had.
According to the latest rumblings out of Boston, the Celtics value brown very highly and will only consider a trade for someone equally as impactful on the court. One name that has emerged from the fold is Evan Mobley, whom the Celtics believe can make a fitting replacement for their disgruntled star forward.
“The Celtics, I believe, are listening to those calls and are digging up their own trades,” reported Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix. “I spent some time this afternoon talking to different teams about what the Celtics might be interested in, and the name and the team that came back to me a lot was Evan Mobley and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mobley is one of those guys who could fit the archetype of the type of player that the Celtics are looking for.”
Mobley, 25, isn’t as decorated as Brown (NBA champion, Finals MVP, and five-time All-Star), but he provides exactly what the Celtics need. At 6’11” and 215 pounds, he’s one of the best young power forwards in the game with good mobility, strong rim protection, and an ability to stretch the floor.
Ideally, the Celtics could swap Brown for Mobley in a straight player-to-player swap, but such a scenario wouldn’t be possible. Because the Cavaliers are a second-apron team, any trade for Brown would have to send back equal salary, meaning at least $53.1 million. They’d likely need to get a third team involved to make it work.
“If it is a deal they’re interested in, it’s a complicated deal to make because the Cleveland Cavaliers are a second apron team, and there’s a whole bunch of rules that go with being a second apron team, including the need to match dollar-for-dollar value with the player that goes out,” Mannix added. “That’s mathematically impossible, it seems, at this moment, but that’s the name people keep coming back to.”
With averages of 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game on 54.6% shooting from the field last season, Mobley was a consistent and dominating presence for the Cavs this year, but their latest failed playoff run has the team headed toward some major changes.
While Jaylen Brown is not the perfect target, he’d be the perfect fit in a backcourt featuring James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. Plus, with Jarrett Allen at center, the Cavaliers could still be a great defensive team. In exchange, the Celtics can finally move on from the Jaylen Brown saga to pair Jayson Tatum with Mobley. Together, they could run the East in 2026-27.
Ultimately, the Cavaliers have yet to show they are willing to part with Evan Mobley, and it puts a massive dent in the Celtics’ plans. As it stands, Evan may be the best player they could get, and if he’s unavailable, there’s no obvious way for the Celtics to trade Jaylen without getting notably worse.
