Boston Celtics
“They’ve been asking for up to four first-round picks (in addition to players) for a team to land the 29-year-old forward.”
Jaylen Brown has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason after finishing sixth in NBA MVP voting. Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe
A week after the Celtics missed out on the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, Boston’s contingency plans regarding a trade centered around Jaylen Brown don’t appear to be going well.
But, as the Celtics continue to shop Brown around after the best season of his pro career, a new report from The Athletic offered up a grim outlook for Boston’s odds of securing a strong return for the 2024 NBA Finals MVP in a blockbuster deal.
“Barring a drastic and unforeseen change in the market, the Boston Celtics will have to significantly lower their asking price if they plan on trading [Brown] anytime soon,” Sam Amick wrote on Tuesday. “As you’ve no doubt heard by now, they’ve been asking for up to four first-round picks (in addition to players) for a team to land the 29-year-old forward.”
Despite several reports over the past week detailing Boston’s efforts to deal Brown and its goal of sparking a “bidding war” for the star wing, the Celtics are now seemingly stuck in a difficult position when it comes to either trading a franchise fixture for pennies on the dollar — or trying to mend what seems to be a strained relationship between Brown and the team.
A new report from The Boston Globe on Monday seemingly signaled that Boston’s attempts at dealing Brown have left the 29-year-old wing disgruntled after an offseason rife with trade rumors.
“League sources said that the Celtics have continued to field calls from teams interested in trading for Brown,” Himmelsbach wrote. “A league source said that Brown has grown frustrated with the organization’s approach following a season in which he guided the Celtics to 56 wins while Jayson Tatum was sidelined for months with an Achilles injury.”
“It remains unclear if the Celtics are urgently attempting to trade Brown or simply listening to pitches from prospective suitors,” Himmelsbach added. “One league source said Brown could still return to the Celtics next season, even if some uncomfortable conversations must happen first.”
While the Portland Trail Blazers emerged as a potential pivot for the Celtics after Antetokounmpo was ultimately dealt to Miami, that option also appears to be snuffed out — especially after Portland traded for guard Ja Morant on Monday.
“League sources have been tying the Blazers to Brown for some time now, but all indications are that their interest is moderate, at best,” Amick wrote. “And, again, nothing close to what the Celtics have been asking for, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations.”
Amick added that the Nuggets’ reported interest in Brown has been “significantly overstated,” beyond the limited assets that Denver could offer up in a potential Brown deal, while the Nets are another club that is “not engaged” in trade talks with the Celtics.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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