Boston Celtics: Jeff Goodman believes Jaylen Brown or Brad Stevens must go

Wherever you stand on the aisle, you are disappointed in the Boston Celtics this season unless you were actively cheering against them.

2020-21 has been a dysfunctional ride that has seen the team fall in creatively unfathomable ways all year. Injuries, the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocol, and general underperformances have taken a potential leap year for the C’s core, and now questions of whether this team is capable of competing in the increasingly competitive Eastern Conference fill the dialogue surrounding the franchise.

So much so that wholesale changes are being suggested by prominent basketball media members to change the direction of the Celtics before it’s too late.

Jeff Goodman of Stadium has suggested in the past that the Cs should flip Jaylen Brown for Bradley Beal, but he has now taken it a step further:

Goodman denied the premise of WEEI’s headline only because it didn’t include the detail that he’d only want Brown off the Boston Celtics if they can land Beal in return. He didn’t say anything about them misquoting him about wanting Brad Stevens out of Beantown.

Clearly, Goodman sees the need for major organizational change as an urgent one. Besides Danny Ainge and Jayson Tatum, Brown and Stevens are the most notable figureheads of the Boston Celtics brand in 2021.

Given Brown’s ascension to career-highs in scoring, assists, 3-point shooting, and overall efficiency, it makes sense that Goodman only wants to flip him in return for what can be considered an upgrade in Beal.

Stevens, on the other hand, failed to get the most out of a roster that–even with the hardships they faced–still had enough talent to avoid the play-in tournament. It’s understandable thinking that a guy who has overseen locker-room problems under several iterations could be the first to go if the winds of change are going to blow through Boston this offseason.

Goodman still received flack from NBC Sports Boston’s Max Lederman for the take, though…

Well, then…

Either way, no matter what speculation we all come up with, we’ll have to wait until the Celtics bow out of the Eastern Conference playoffs before we see a resolution either way.