Boston Celtics: Jaylen Brown comments that Sharife Cooper is NBA-bound

Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown left a short and sweet comment on Instagram that made it clear that he believes Auburn star Sharife Cooper is NBA-bound.

The Boston Celtics are a young team, and instead of trading draft picks for veterans the past few seasons, Danny Ainge has instead opted to use his first-round picks since the 2016 NBA Draft.

That’s good to keep in mind when analyzing Jaylen Brown’s one-word comment on Auburn Tigers star Sharife Cooper’s Instagram post:

“League”.

It’s not hard to figure out what Brown’s implying here. After three straight spectacular Sharife Cooper performances, including a 28-point, 12 assist-double-double against the Georgia Bulldogs, the league has been put on notice.

Cooper is a legitimate NBA prospect, with the speed and handles to create his own shot at the next level. After missing his first 11 games due to the NCAA denying his eligibility in conjunction with his father’s sports agency potentially having players funneled his way from Auburn.

Those are unfound allegations as of now and with the NCAA allowing him to play, those early-season freshman year games seem to have been lost in vain.

They may comprise a large portion of his collegiate career if he forgoes his sophomore season and declares for the 2021 NBA Draft, which Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman believes he should do (and he even projects him to be a lottery pick):

"Finally ruled eligible, Cooper debuted with 26 points and nine assists against Alabama on Saturday, showcasing his value as a shot-creator and playmaker. Auburn teammates were looking at open shots all day thanks to Cooper’s ability to break down the defense and find shooters and lob targets off the dribble. His shooting and decision-making looked shaky, but they can improve. There isn’t any teaching Cooper’s knack for consistently creating high-percentage looks, either for himself or others."

It’s unknown where the Cs will pick in the 2021 draft, or if they’ll even own their own selection. The James Harden trade may have changed those plans.

If they do, though, you’d have to think the Boston Celtics will have their eyes on cooper, just like Jaylen Brown does.