The Celtics are reportedly listening to trade offers for their former Finals MVP, Jaylen Brown, after failing to land Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Rockets and the Hawks were initially expected to lead the race, but the Hornets emerged as a bigger potential threat, and the Trail Blazers were reported to be more actively engaged in negotiating a trade package for the five-time All-Star.
Following the reports of multiple teams’ interest in Brown, NBA insider Jake L. Fischer now reports that the Rockets and the Hornets are no longer in the race to trade for Brown. It is doubtful if they ever were interested in the first place.
“Despite Jaylen Brown’s connection to Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, we’re being told Houston is not actively pursuing a trade for Boston’s MVP candidate,” wrote Fischer on X.
“It has been stressed to The Stein Line in recent days that neither the Charlotte Hornets nor the Houston Rockets, despite speculation to the contrary, are actively pursuing Jaylen Brown,” the report from Fischer and NBA insider Marc Stein said.
He also reported that the Trail Blazers have now emerged as the frontrunners to land Jaylen Brown, while the Hawks are still trying to figure out a trade to land a big man so that they can meet the demands of the Celtics.
According to sources, the Celtics are looking for a talented big man and would be willing to let Brown go to get one. The Trail Blazers have a solid depth of talented big men: Yang Hansen, Donovan Clingan, and, of course, the former Celtics player, Robert Williams.
They could figure out an enticing package to lure the Celtics and successfully pair up Brown and Damian Lillard in the backcourt with the promising front court of Deni Avdija and whichever big man they keep in the negotiations.
Jake L. Fischer and Marc Stein previously also reported that a reconciliation between the Celtics and Jaylen Brown is not out of the question. Therefore, teams will have to meet the price they are demanding to get Brown.
Brown was sixth in the race for the regular season MVP award. He finished the season averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while going 47.7% from the field and 34.7% from behind the three-point line, and was named on the All-NBA second team.
Even though reports have suggested that Brown is also open to the idea of joining a team where he is the undisputed No. 1 option, he uses his rocky relationship with the front office as fuel to bounce back even stronger.
“Very, it’s very challenging. Things have not gone my way; I haven’t been catered to in a sense that has made me stronger and made me a better player; it has driven me,” said Brown last year while speaking about his relationship with the Celtics organization.
“I can complain, but in reality, it made me the best, and I’m grateful because even if it was indirect, I know it wasn’t intentional… I mean, it was intentional, but it made me better… A lot of stuff has transpired in this organization, and I understand it. I didn’t complain or have an agent call, I just let it make me better, and it fueled me.”
He even said earlier this summer that his inclusion in these rumors is only going to make him a “monster” when he comes back. So we could see Brown returning to the Celtics as well, even though that is not what several sources are reporting.
If he starts the season with the Celtics, I doubt he will demand a midseason trade. But anything can happen in the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes at this point. It will be interesting to see where Brown ends up before the first day of the season.
