Jaylen Brown Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Fischer’s Latest: Celtics, Sixers, Hawks, Capela, Draft

June 12th, 2025 at 3:17pm CST by Rory Maher

While there was speculation around the combine that rival teams would likely seek some sort of assets from Boston along with Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7MM expiring contract) or Jrue Holiday ($104.4MM over the next three years), the Celtics have been operating as though they’re confident those former All-Stars will return positive value on the trade market, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

According to Fischer, the Celtics have given some teams the impression they aren’t in a rush to reduce their projected record-breaking luxury tax bill for 2025/26, and may do so in phases rather than all at once. That could include trading Porzingis for a smaller salary this offseason, and perhaps waiting for the trade deadline next February to make another cost-cutting move.

ESPN’s Shams Charania recently reported that the Celtics won’t be actively looking to move Jaylen Brown or Derrick White this offseason, but they don’t necessarily view either player as untouchable.

Fischer hears Boston would have to have to be blown away to part with White, pointing to Brooklyn’s return for Mikal Bridges as a point of comparison. He also states that Payton Pritchard should be in a similar category of “extremely hard-to-get,” with Boston looking to remain competitive next season despite losing Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles.

Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up:

Confirming a report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Fischer has also heard the Sixers have spoken to the Spurs about the possibility of moving up from No. 3 to No. 2 in the draft. Fischer also confirms that Philadelphia has zeroed in on four candidates for the third pick, though only two of those prospects — V.J. Edgecombe and Ace Bailey — are currently known. Moving back in the draft remains a possibility as well, Fischer adds.
After reporting that there hasn’t been much chatter about the Hawks combining their two first-round picks (Nos. 13 and 22) in an effort to move up in the draft, Fischer has subsequently heard otherwise from “various sources.” According to Fischer, rival teams believe Atlanta is focused on centers in the draft, with Clint Capela expected to walk in free agency.
There’s an expectation around the league that there could be a rush of trade activity late in the first round and early in the second as teams jockey for prospects, Fischer writes. As Fischer explains, several players projected to be selected in that range wound up returning to college due to multi-million dollar NIL deals, leaving the latter portion of the second round, in particular, somewhat lacking in young talent compared to previous drafts.

Trade Rumors: Celtics, Durant, Knicks, Pelicans, Spurs, Magic

June 12th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

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 Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Procedure

June 11th, 2025 at 10:39am CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown underwent a right knee arthroscopic debridement procedure today, according to a team press release. He is expected to participate in training camp without limitation, the statement adds (Twitter link).

Brown had been dealing with a knee injury since March. Late last month, it was reported that the 28-year-old was still pondering his options, including a surgical procedure. Ultimately, that’s the path that he chose.

Brown averaged 22.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 11 postseason games despite the partial meniscus tear that cropped up late in the regular season.

The fact that Brown is expected to be healthy for training camp is a big boost for a franchise that will likely be without Jayson Tatum next season due to the Achilles tear he suffered during the playoffs. Brown is entering the second year of his five-year super-max contract.

Deep into the luxury tax, the Celtics are looking to shed some salary with prominent players such as Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis among the candidates to be on the move. There hasn’t been as much speculation about a possible Brown trade but the fact that his knee problem appears to be relatively minor should erase any concerns from potential suitors about acquiring him.

Southwest Notes: Mavs, DSJ, Brown, Spurs, Pelicans

June 6th, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Acquiring a point guard is one of the top priorities for the Mavericks in the 2025 offseason, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. With star Kyrie Irving recovering from ACL surgery and not expected to get back on the court until at least January, the team will need help at the position this fall.

In a mailbag for the Morning News, Curtis discusses how Chris Paul will likely be a name to watch for Dallas, citing NBA Insider Marc Stein who listed him as a potential option along with Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday. The latter two players are still under contract but their respective teams may entertain offers for them, given roster construction and salary cap considerations.

After a rocky season as a part-time starter for the Suns, Curtis doesn’t consider upcoming unrestricted free agent Tyus Jones a serious target, writing, “Jones has proven he can run an offense, but there are better options on the market this offseason.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Dennis Smith Jr. is set to work out with the Mavericks next week as part of a veteran mini-camp, notes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. The athletic, defensive-minded guard is just one of a number of free agents who will take part in the mini-camp, but he could fill a need for the Dallas team that drafted him in 2017 and help complement the team’s budding defensive identity. Smith recently participated in a similar camp for the Sixers.
One name to watch as the Spurs continue to search for stars to put around Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox is Jaylen Brown, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix said during an NBC Sports Boston appearance (YouTube link). While Giannis Antetokounmpo has been linked to the Spurs, Mannix believes they may not be comfortable with the price they’d have to pay to acquire the Bucks star, which could lead them to look elsewhere. “I think if you’re Boston, you’re not going to… get a Stephon Castle in a potential Jaylen Brown (trade),” Mannix said. “You would get a No. 2 pick back in return, you would get some of the pieces… the Devin Vassells, the Keldon Johnsons, future first-round capital. That’s something I’d watch.” There’s no indication at this point that the Celtics will make Brown available.
The Pelicans conducted pre-draft workouts for UNC’s RJ Davis, Arkansas’ Johnell Davis, Wisconsin’s Steven Crowl, and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson, reports The Athletic’s Will Guillory (via Twitter). Of the four players, UNC’s Davis ranks the highest on ESPN’s top-100 board, coming in at 93rd.
New Pelicans president of basketball operations Joe Dumars views the two teams in the NBA Finals as reasons to believe New Orleans can follow a similar small-market path, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. The first step in that process is building the proper culture and making the team feel like a first-class organization. “Taking care of the players. Taking care of their families. The way you do business. The way you travel. Everything. People have to feel good about coming into the building,” Dumars said.

Celtics Notes: Giannis, Tate, Prince, Holiday, Trade Market

May 31st, 2025 at 7:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics are expected to reduce salary and possibly move away from being title contenders next season in the wake of Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles tear, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggests a more aggressive strategy, relays Brian Robb of MassLive. In a Thursday morning appearance on Get Up, Windhorst stated that Boston could still be in a good position to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Bucks star decides he wants to remain in the Eastern Conference.

“I think Boston was more interesting before the devastating Tatum injury because I don’t know what you can possibly get from Jayson Tatum next year,” Windhorst said. “Before that, I think that was a real conversation and maybe it still could be.”

Robb analyzes the possibility of an Antetokounmpo deal, noting that it wouldn’t be feasible unless the Celtics can cut roughly $20MM in salary and get below the second apron. That can happen either before a trade with Milwaukee or as part of the deal if Boston can find a third or fourth team willing to absorb unwanted contracts.

Once they’re free from the second apron restrictions, the Celtics can aggregate salaries, likely starting with Jaylen Brown‘s $53.1MM for next season, which nearly matches Antetokounmpo’s $54.1MM. From there, Robb states it would be a matter of determining which players the Bucks like enough to part with their perennial MVP candidate.

Robb doesn’t think Milwaukee would be interested in a reunion with Jrue Holiday or in taking on Kristaps Porzingis‘ expiring contract. He suggests Payton Pritchard‘s team-friendly deal might inspire the Bucks and wonders if the Celtics could be willing to part with Derrick White if they can take back a similar player from another team in the trade.

There’s more from Boston:

The trade market leaguewide and for the Celtics should heat up after the conclusion of the NBA Finals, Robb says in a mailbag column. He notes that draft assets will likely be part of any deals involving the league’s bigger names, so teams will want to get those trades finalized before the draft starts June 25. In the same piece, Robb states that if Boston is limited to veteran’s minimum contracts to fill out its roster, Jae’Sean Tate and Taurean Prince could be appealing additions.
With three years and $104.4MM left on his contract, Holiday is the most obvious player for the Celtics to move this summer, observes Danny Leroux of The Athletic. Leroux acknowledges a risk for any team thinking about taking on Holiday’s contract and states that he would be willing to include the No. 28 pick in the draft as a sweetener. Leroux’s recommendations for the Celtics include trading Holiday, re-signing veteran center Al Horford, along with Luke Kornet if possible, listening to trade offers for Brown and White, and seeing if they can work out an extension with Porzingis.
Once the major deals involving Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant are worked out, the remaining trade market could work to the Celtics’ advantage, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required).

Celtics Notes: Holiday, Luxury Tax, Draft, White, Trades

May 28th, 2025 at 10:54am CST by Dana Gauruder

With the Celtics looking to find ways to shave their luxury tax bill, the Clippers are expected to be among the teams to show interest in veteran point guard Jrue Holiday, Brian Robb of MassLive.com reports.

Holiday will likely have multiple suitors, but the Clippers’ front office has previously pursued Holiday, Robb notes — L.A. was outbid by Boston on the 2023 trade market. The Celtics shipped Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams and two future first- round picks to Portland for Holiday.

Holiday has three years and $104MM remaining on his contract. Robb notes that Bogdan Bogdanovic ($16MM) could be a crucial matching salary piece if the two sides pursue a deal.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Taking their cue from the Pacers and Thunder, the Celtics need to get younger and cheaper talent, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe opines. In order for the Celtics to stay under the second apron, they need to have players on rookie contracts and — when the time comes — give them less-than-max rookie extensions. They need to hit on their two draft picks at No. 28 and 32 to help achieve that goal, Washburn notes.
Regarding their trade assets, Robb details how many future picks the Celtics hold. Boston has one first-rounder and two second-rounders next year but doesn’t have a second-rounder in 2027. Robb also notes the Celtics currently have no picks in 2029.
Yossi Gozlan of ThirdApron.com (Substack link) doesn’t see the club trading Jaylen Brown but believes the next 12 months could be the optimal window to move Derrick White, who is set to begin a four-year, $128MM extension. If White is retained, the club should be able to achieve its financial goals by trading Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Sam Hauser, Gozlan writes.

Jaylen Brown Still Contemplating Surgery For Meniscus Injury

May 25th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics star Jaylen Brown hasn’t made a final decision on whether to have surgery for the partial meniscus tear that has been bothering him since March, writes Noa Dalzell of Celtics Blog.

Brown discussed the injury during an appearance Saturday in Boston to promote his latest sneaker line. Dalzell notes that it was his first public appearance since the Celtics were upset by the Knicks in their second-round playoff series.

“l got a lot of doctors I gotta get evaluated with — see the potential for surgery versus no surgery, wait to speak to the [Celtics] organization,” Brown said. “For now, it’s just rest and recovery. I’m taking a step back from a long season. Mentally, it was a lot of stuff going on.”

Brown had another outstanding individual season, averaging 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 63 games and earning an All-Star berth for the fourth time in the past five years. However, the team missed an opportunity to defend its NBA title, and Brown admitted that he was “expecting to be playing right now” instead of doing the shoe launch.

Brown’s sneaker line is unique because he established his own brand, called 741 Performance, in September rather than signing with an established company. It offers a wide apparel line in addition to the shoes, and Brown hopes it will inspire other athletes to pursue similar ventures.

“Just to really get it out there is an accomplishment in itself,” he said. “Just to take the route of independence and starting your own brand … for a high-profile athlete, you don’t really see that too often, especially at this stage in my career. It’s a lot of risk in that, but I wanted the next generation to know it’s possible.”

The Celtics are entering a summer of uncertainty, with numerous reports suggesting that a few high-salaried players will be traded to ease the team’s luxury tax bill. There’s been some speculation that Brown might be among them because of his super-max contract, but he’s hoping to stay put and lead the team back to title contention once Jayson Tatum returns from his Achilles surgery.

Brown talked with fans on Saturday about the team’s prospects for next season and said he’s motivated by their support for his company. Dalzell states that Brown plans to spend most of the summer in Boston for the first time in his career.

“I’m in the community a lot, but I’m leaning toward being even more in the community,” Brown said. “I’m just really trying to touch this community and be around, be available for the city of Boston.”

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Stevens, Porzingis, Holiday

May 24th, 2025 at 5:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell is optimistic that Jayson Tatum will reclaim his place as one of the NBA’s best players whenever he fully recovers from Achilles surgery, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Appearing on Patrick Beverley‘s podcast, Cassell said he plans to help Tatum learn how to view the game from a coach’s perspective while he’s rehabbing the injury.

“It’s good, man,” Cassell said. “When he comes back, he can be even better. He can observe the game of basketball and work on everything he needs to work on. I’m looking forward to the journey with him. Top-five first-team All-(NBA) this year. When he comes back, he’ll be first-team All-(NBA) again. He’s that good.”

Tatum was one of four players to be unanimously selected for first-team All-NBA honors this week, earning the designation for the fourth straight season. No timetable has been set for him to resume playing, but Terada states that the Celtics are confident about his prognosis because he had surgery the morning after tearing his Achilles in Game 4 of their second-round series and he was fortunate to be in New York, which offered greater access to world-class surgeons.

Tatum’s injury derailed any hopes that Boston had of rallying to win the series and it may cause the team to take a step back from contending next season. However, Cassell is confident in the long-term future.

“When you got a great group of guys who understood the situation we were in,” he said, “It’s like, ‘Guys, we’re down 3-1, OK. We’re going to get another lead, so let’s just take advantage of the lead.’ Because we had leads every game. Basketball gods are just not happy sometimes. We’ll grow from this. As a staff, we’ll grow from this as a team. We’re the Boston Celtics, baby.”

There’s more from Boston:

The press conference held Monday by president of basketball operations Brad Stevens showed that he has a plan to remake the roster and trim salary this summer, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Stevens indicated that he’s willing to use the team’s draft picks at No. 28 and 32 to help get rid of at least the roughly $20MM that will be necessary to get the Celtics below the second apron. Washburn doesn’t expect Stevens to part with Jaylen Brown or Derrick White, but he states that Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday will likely be made available, while Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh and JD Davison may also be deemed expendable.
In a mailbag column, Brian Robb of MassLive questions how easy it will be to find teams willing to take on Porzingis and Holiday. Robb points out that Holiday is already 35 and will making $37.2MM in 2027/28, while Porzingis’ recent health issues will likely limit his market.
Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe continues his offseason series rating the team’s various units, this time focusing on the starting lineup. He notes that injuries to Tatum and Brown, along with Porzingis’ illness and Holiday’s signs of aging leave the group in much worse shape than it appeared to be when the season began.

Celtics Notes: Craig, Luxury Tax, Brown, Pritchard

May 21st, 2025 at 2:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Although he had a limited role after signing with the Celtics, Torrey Craig is interested in staying with the team next season, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive. The veteran forward started the season in Chicago, but was sidelined for weeks by an ankle injury and only got into nine games. The Bulls waived him on February 3, and Boston signed him five days later to fill an opening on its 15-man roster.

“I guess we’ll cross that path when we get there,” Craig said after the team was eliminated last week in New York. “I have to sit down with my representatives, my agents and talk things through and see the options. But I wouldn’t mind re-signing here.”

Craig, 34, appeared in 17 games with the Celtics, making three starts and averaging 2.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per night. He may have a larger role if he re-signs with the team because Jayson Tatum will miss most or all of the season with a torn Achilles and several rotation players might be traded to save money.

Craig said he enjoyed being in Boston despite the limited playing time.

“Just the togetherness,” he said. “Everybody in the locker room is for one another, all the way down to the front office, the coaching staff. Family-oriented. Yeah, it’s just a wholesome place to be around.”

There’s more from Boston:

Brian Robb of MassLive suggests the Celtics should set a goal of getting under the luxury tax instead of just ducking below the second apron. The team is facing the repeater tax in 2025/26 with its current roster, and Robb points out that there are long-term benefits that go with resetting the repeater clock. Unloading both Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday wouldn’t be enough to push the Celtics below the projected $187MM tax line, but Robb notes that they don’t have to get there until the end of the season. That provides time to monitor Tatum’s recovery before making a final decision on the strategy.
Watching Jaylen Brown in the unquestioned alpha role is one of the reasons for optimism next season, per Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. Forsberg states that Brown has steadily improved as a play-maker and tends to have his best performances when Tatum isn’t active, such as Game 2 against Orlando and Game 5 against New York in this year’s playoffs. Forsberg is also looking forward to seeing Payton Pritchard as a possible starter and finding out which of the team’s younger players can excel in an expanded role.
There were warning signs of a potential Celtics collapse long before it happened, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy. Bulpett looks back at a 7-7 stretch in December and January when the team developed bad habits and began letting big leads slip away.

Stevens: More Time Required To Determine Offseason Plans

May 19th, 2025 at 7:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens didn’t provide any clarity during his postseason press conference on his approach to a challenging offseason. Stevens said that the organization remains driven to compete for championships but there are other factors that must be considered.

“I know there will be a lot of questions about what’s next,” Stevens said, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “I’ll talk probably more about that at the draft time when we have a better idea after meeting with all the key stakeholders and everybody else about what next steps might be. At the end of the day, I think that will all be driven by the same thing that’s always driven us and that is how do we get ourselves in the mix to compete for championships best.”

Numerous players were signed to extensions last offseason after the Celtics won the championship. The cost of carrying those players will rise exponentially — their payroll for next season is projected to be around $225MM, with repeater tax penalties totaling approximately $280MM.

This comes at a time when majority ownership is due to change hands. The new ownership group, led by William Chisholm, is expected to be approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors next month, according to Robb. It’s unknown whether the new owners are willing to take on that kind of penalty.

“The CBA has been well-known for years,” Stevens said. “So there are penalties associated with being at certain levels, and we know that. You just weigh that. You weigh where we are. You weigh everything else then you make those decisions. You have to have the clarity of a full season and a full playoffs and, like I said, a couple good night’s sleep. Then everybody gets in a room and put your heads together and figure out what’s next.”

Another major factor in the Celtics’ offseason approach will be the likely season-long absence of star forward Jayson Tatum, who tore his Achilles during their second-round series. It was later revealed that Jaylen Brown played with partially torn meniscus in his right knee, while Kristaps Porzingis continued to battle a lingering illness. Stevens wouldn’t blame the series loss to the Knicks on those setbacks.

“The reality is we blew the first two games and that’s why we put ourselves in a tough spot. … That’s not on any one person,” Stevens said, per The Associated Press. “It’s not out of maliciousness. It’s not out of a bad decision. It’s not bad luck. It’s we had an opportunity to win those first two home games and we put ourselves behind the eight ball.”

Brown’s knee issues cropped up in March, Stevens said. However, the knee injury wasn’t severe enough to keep him off the court, as Robb relays.

“Jaylen wants to play, Jaylen’s a warrior, Jaylen takes great pride in being out there,” Stevens said. “And at the same time, he saw obviously our team docs and a couple of other people and as he even said a couple weeks ago, the knee’s in a good place structurally. And so I think he felt comfortable getting out there and going after it. And hopefully he’ll feel better after being off it for a couple weeks here. The unfortunate part is we’re done in the middle of May, but some of these guys who have some nicks, bruises and other things that it’ll be good to get some rest.”

Porzingis’ illness was described to Stevens as “post-viral syndrome,” The Athletic’s Jay King tweets. Stevens believes Porzingis’ health issues will be “well cleared up” by the time he plays for Latvia in EuroBasket this summer.