Boston Celtics: B/R lists Jaylen Brown as “surprise target” for Memphis

This summer, the Boston Celtics have already proven that they’re willing to make splashes.

Be it in the shape of a new coaching hire with the signing of Ime Udoka or the sizeable roster shakeup that was the Kemba Walker trade, it’s quite apparent that the C’s front office is on a mission to make themselves look different in 2021-22 when in comparison to their disappointing 2020-21 aesthetic.

However, even with this desire for a team makeover, the belief is that, in regard to Boston’s young dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, barring a blockbuster move for, say, Damian Lillard, this core will remain intact heading into next season.

Still, despite this strong credence, it didn’t stop the folks at Bleacher Report from proposing the idea of seeing these All-Star wings potentially splitting apart, as writer, Grant Hughes, listed Brown as a “surprise trade target” for the Memphis Grizzlies.

While Hughes did kick things off by stating that the All-Star was “a real pie-in-the-sky target” for Memphis, considering he’s become such an integral part of the C’s future plans, the piece would go on to state that the Grizzlies could package together a rather intriguing deal for the Boston Celtics to, at the very least, consider accepting:

"… the Grizzlies could put together a package including Jaren Jackson Jr., Kyle Anderson and one or two of the first-rounders they’ve got coming in from other teams in the near future. The top-four protected 2024 first from the Warriors could be especially juicy if we assume the Dubs are in for a hard crash as their core ages and stays ridiculously expensive.Brown would give Memphis a top-tier, All-Star wing who made real playmaking strides in 2020-21, a perfect running mate for Ja Morant and exactly the kind of talent franchises like the Grizzlies can’t hope to acquire in free agency."

Yes, while this hypothetical starting point for a return package in a trade may be considered somewhat “juicy”, as Hughes called it, his statement earlier in the piece claiming that the Boston Celtics would likely turn down any proposal that doesn’t bring back a superstar in return should be the biggest takeaway from this idea (at least, for shamrocks fans).

Jaylen Brown should continue to be viewed as a major building block for Boston, and fans should feel rather confident that they will not be seeing him used as trade bait for lesser talents at any point in the near future.