The Celtics won’t be actively looking to move Jaylen Brown or Derrick White this offseason, but they also don’t necessarily view either player as untouchable, ESPN’s Shams Charania said on Wednesday during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube link).
“The primary focus, from my understanding, with the Celtics’ offseason has been Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, (and) Sam Hauser, their trade markets,” Charania said. “Now, are teams making big offers and calling about Jaylen Brown and Derrick White? 100 percent. The Celtics prefer not to trade them, from my understanding. But if they get a big offer, they have to look at everything.”
Asked by McAfee if it’s accurate to say that everyone except Jayson Tatum, who will spent most or all of the 2025/26 season recovering from an Achilles tear, is theoretically in play, Charania replied, “Essentially.”
As has been reported repeatedly since Boston was eliminated from the playoffs last month, the club will be looking to reduce its luxury tax bill and get below the second tax apron in 2025/26, since Tatum’s injury figures to significantly reduce the odds of the Celtics seriously contending for another title next season.
Here are a few more trade-related rumors from around the NBA:
- Brian Windhorst said during a Thursday appearance on ESPN’s Get Up (YouTube link) that he thinks Kevin Durant “definitely” has interest in the Knicks as a potential landing spot. However, after Stefan Bondy of The New York Post reported on Wednesday that the Knicks aren’t expected to pursue Durant, Steve Popper of Newsday has echoed that report, citing a league source who says New York isn’t interested in making a deal for the star forward.
- Within his latest mock draft, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports says league sources continue to mention the Pelicans as a team with interest in moving up in the draft. According to O’Connor, multiple front office executives believe New Orleans, which controls the No. 7 overall pick, has interest in Rutgers’ Ace Bailey, who could be picked as early as No. 3, so Yahoo’s latest mock include a hypothetical trade between the Pelicans and Sixers.
- The latest mock draft from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic also includes some sourced information related to potential trade scenarios. According to Vecenie, league sources believe the Spurs could move their No. 14 overall pick if a preferred target isn’t on the board and think the Magic will explore using at least one of their two first-rounders in a trade for offensive help.
Jaylen Brown should get a new team when his contract is up just because they were going to deal him prior and were very disrespectful.
Cool, well it’s up 4 years from now after he makes around 230M dollars.
I’ll set a reminder on my phone.
Boston should just give Jrue and Kristaps away for way unders, that should please everybody else. Should attach a first to both, lol.
Kristaps isn’t going anywhere if I’m Brad, he’s next contract could be Boston team friendly. Definitely need cover though.
Unless I received an offer I couldn’t say no to. Kuminga, Podz for Kristaps and a first, lol.
I hear you on Porzingis, he’s so darn good when he’s out there.
Trading Brown is actually the best move they can make if they can get a return that is centered around a young up and coming star. Hard to do in the league right now. The offers that are most likely to be out there will consist of a bag full of lesser assets, and they would need to do this within a fairly tight window. But because Brown is fairly young (28-29), and there are a number of teams out there who could be in the market for a prime age star, it’s not out of the question.
Why would they do that? The return will not be a player better than Jaylen Brown.
A player worse than Jaylen Brown making around $10M per year would leave $45M additional per year to spend on a bench. Added together, that would probably produce a better team overall.
Lots of teams like the Suns and Nets have proven the 3 stars surrounded by nothing model doesn’t work anymore. Nuggets only won the year they actually had a bench. And both teams in the finals have proven that cheap and deep rosters are what brings you success.
However, the Celts already have one title with Brown. They will be reloading for more with him.
If they got a player that might not be as good as Brown, yet: but that is still ascending and a better long term fit for a team where Tatum is the #1 star. Just because BOS won with Tatum and Brown together doesn’t mean they are an ideal fit as the 1-2. It might just means the overall quality of their roster was just that far ahead of the competition. Going forward, with both guys racing toward making over 70 mm a year each, they may conclude there is a better long term allocation of their resources.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting they trade him in a salary dump, but with his contract, a deal that is more accomodative to a salary reset over the next couple years makes the entire operation more sustainable for Tatum’s entire prime.
They will have a hard enough time trading Jrue. Having to match the salary for Brown will be much harder, while trying to get proper value back. And the Cs want to stay competitive. This isn’t a rebuild.
I’m not suggesting anything close to rebuilding. I’m suggesting what IMO is the best way to avoid rebuilding, while not being hopelessly over the 2nd apron when they are not championship contenders. FWIW, the Brown deal I was contemplating wouldn’t have current salary reduction as a priority. That could come, or not, in another deal.
Yes, it would be a very hard deal to do in any environment, and particularly this one.
I’ve low key thought SAS might wanna go after Brown
If I’m Boston and I can net pick 2 with Barnes Keldon and Sochan (Only Keldon bleeds 17 M over to next year ) I’m thinking long and hard about it ~
Browns biggest boon is that there is no wing avail even near his level. He probably doesn’t necessarily have 2 pick excess value in his contract but with the wing market what it is maybe he does . Bos can throw back pick 28 for shiz and giggles to balance it out somewhat
The Celts would be betting big on Dylan Harper. Brown has big shoes to fill.
I still have to believe the Cs would prefer to go fwd with him rather than w/o him.
Big shoes indeed, big bet indeed
This is 50% about the money tho and Im just spitballin
My official Bos stance is do nothing other than make a good Jrue deal that doesn’t even need to drop you sub apron 2 this year- Management can wear next season , Kps departure would take care of the rest 365 days from now. Im all for action but Id keep Bos path simple this offseason
This is what I’m expecting too. I said a Jrue deal to the Rockets looks doable if the Cs would take Dillon back. They might even get the 10 pick in a deal like that.
The other scenario could be a swap for Anfernee Simons. He’s a name out there in trade talks… and an expiring contract, which is what the Celts want.
And like you said, they prob let KP go. Otherwise, I could see them try to move up in the 1st round.
That’s a Jerry West deal. #2 pick in this draft (not generically), IMO, is worth more than Brown (on his current contract), though obviously a higher risk/reward asset. I’d take all those contracts (or one fewer) if they want to use some of their cap space.
Agreed, just think he’d be on the short short list of players 2 would ever be thought about parceling for and Ive thought SAS might wanna look wing more than Big for awhile now. Problem being theres no wings avail hardly ever today
With Sas books wide open for a little Browns cash doesn’t loom as large there
Shams, thank you captain obvious.
Durant interested in the Knicks. Funny how karma works.
Pretty sure KD is gonna be just fine if he doesn’t play for the Knicks.
I don’t get how you go from world champs. To lets break them up cause we lost. Or lets break them up cause its to expensive.
Celtics don’t loose to Knicks if they are 100%. KP was always a maybe. Breaking this team up is just bad business. Nobody is taking KP unless you give them a pick. Plus he’s an expiring contract. So you don’t need to do anything till TD.
I can see Jalen Brown trade. Only if you get a big return. The only move that makes the most sense. Is moving Jrue. He has three more yrs on his contract. And White has leveled up. To where Jrue is not a major part. They can afford to move Jrue.
Horford and Kornet are FAs. So moving Jrue for a big also makes a lot of sense. Been saying it since Kyrie went down —— PJ and Gafford —- Jrue to Mavs …. This also makes it easier to move KP at TD.
Best deal for both teams ….. you welcome Nico.
> I don’t get how you go from world champs. To lets
> break them up cause we lost. Or lets break them up
> cause its to expensive.
Get used to it. Pro sports is a business.
Well Aristotle cry baby owners like Jazz ownership,nets ownership, hawks ownership,blazers ownership, hornets ownership who are afraid to spend and don’t care about winning all cried to Adam Silver.
The new salary cap is designed to make it hard to keep good teams together. I don’t think they want to break it up, but given the penalties they are going to have to break the team apart sooner or later. With tatum’s injury, the choice between sooner or later gets pretty easy to be sooner.
Pro Sports business. Is to win Chips …
I get the cap now is harder to navigate. The window to win chips is not that long. So a team like Celtics should be thankful they can contend for 3-5 yrs. And not care about the cap.
Even if they are willing to operate at a loss to win more titles, the penalties start to move your future picks to the end of the draft. So you are also committing to sacrifice your future. It functions more like a hard cap than a soft cap. I don’t like it btw, but this is what the owners wanted. No more dynasties.
> Pro Sports business. Is to win Chips …
Don’t forget “without going bankrupt”
> So a team like Celtics should be thankful they can
> contend for 3-5 yrs. And not care about the cap.
Wow. Please show us a businessperson or ownership group that doesn’t “care” about losing $1B over 3 years, which is roughly what the CBA would have done to the Celtics if they’d spent this way for the next 3 years.
All pro sports (other than the MLB) have regressive tax structures on team payrolls for the sake of competitive parity. The Warriors and Knicks could easily afford 4x the payroll of OKC and Indiana every year. The CBA prevents that.
I don’t see Knicks doing any major trade. Till they have their coach in place.
I wouldn’t mind KD on this team. It would take Towns for that to happen. And considering their difference in age. Knicks have to get Dunn too.
KD and Dunn —— for —— Towns and McBride.
I would consider this. Makes the bench stronger.
McBride can start for Suns. I think he could be major there with Booker.
McBride? You should reconsider. It would be next to impossible to trade McBride and make the bench stronger. Deuce is the bench’s only 2 way player (and the bench’s best defender and best shooter/scorer) and, because of his salary, we could never replace him without dealing either a starter or Mitch.
Dunn has some upside, but right now he’s barely playable. He’s a great wing defender, but he can’t shoot, at all, even FTs (where he’s worse than Mitch). NYK took a long at Dunn before last year’s draft due to his elite defense, but they passed on him twice, and took Diadet.
Reading comments, thank God Brad Stevens is in charge lol.
Couldn’t agree more :) … and that includes my comments
Do I really want KD on my team now after he refused the Knicks for Brooklyn? I’m thinking definitely, no way.
Looks like you had a good read considering Davey Hasnt dropped by this thread. YET.
True, lol. Folks here think Bostol will trade everyone apart from Pritchard and Tatum, and will spend all the picks they have to “sweeten the deals”.