Though Jaylen Brown still has another year left on his rookie deal, the Boston Celtics should already be generating a to-do list of potential next steps.
As summer slowly creeps along and the 2019-20 NBA season gets closer, one question remains: What should the Boston Celtics do with Jaylen Brown? His name has frequently been brought up in trade scenarios, as many speculate he will be asking the Celtics for max or near-max money in the summer of 2020.
Coming off a 2017-18 playoff run in which it appeared him and then-rookie Jayson Tatum were poised to lead the Celtics sooner rather than later, Brown went through many ups and downs in the 2018-19 campaign. With the return of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, Brown found himself often in the background.
The wing saw a decrease in minutes, points, rebounds, assists, steals, and three-point percentage in 2018-19 as compared to the previous season.
Much of the fluctuation last season can be attributed to Brown finding himself in a new role coming off the bench after starting 70 games the year prior. While he may have adapted to it better than others (Terry Rozier) it was clear he could not find his rhythm for the majority of the season.
Although Kyrie Irving has been replaced with Kemba Walker, losing Al Horford, Marcus Morris, and Terry Rozier opens up more minutes and shots for Brown this upcoming campaign. He will need to find a balance between making the most of his own opportunities and making the right plays for his team in order to warrant a big payday next offseason.
The Celtics are in a strange position when it comes to whether or not they should bring back Brown after next season, as arguably 3 of their top-4 talents all play similar positions.
Gordon Hayward has a $34 million player option for 2020-21 and Jayson Tatum will more than likely be demanding a big payday of his own as a restricted free agent the following year. This could leave Jaylen Brown as the odd man out, especially if Hayward returns to All-Star form in the coming season.
Another option would be trading Brown before the deadline in order to get something for him instead of potentially letting him walk for nothing in the offseason. While there would be plenty of suitors for the 22-year-old, Boston would be taking a risk on Gordon Hayward returning to his former self and wanting to stay in Beantown past 2019-20.
It would certainly be hard for the Celtics to part ways with such a young, energetic player who has such a high ceiling. Brown has shown glimpses of a player that can be a perennial All-Star in the league for years to come, and it is clear he fears no player that he goes up against.
The team’s options are as follows: Paying Brown and teaming him up with Tatum for years to come, trading him for a piece that will make Boston more of a contender right now or letting him walk to a team who offers him a huge contract.
One thing is for sure; the Boston Celtics are in a tough spot – though it’s one many teams would love to find themselves in.