Things have taken a pretty significant turn in the last couple of days for the Boston Celtics.
For a long time, Hardwood Houdini has operated under the assumption that Jaylen Brown would be Jayson Tatum’s co-star in green for the foreseeable future, and the two would have long enough to attempt a meteoric climb back to the Eastern Conference finals as they achieved in 2018 and 2020.
But this even year doesn’t look like it will feature such a return trip…and it may see the demise of the duo altogether.
According to Heavy’s Steve Bulpett, Brown could be trying to find a new home this offseason if this ship continues to sink:
"Multiple sources have told Heavy.com that, absent the team getting its act together and playing more to its potential, Brown could be the one to acknowledge that the mix isn’t right and seek a move."
Obviously, the offseason is a much different time than right now. That seems to be the time circled on the calendar for when such a deal could go down.
But if there’s even an inkling that Brown could be a goner at any point, Boston Celtics Presidnet of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has proven bold enough to send all his chips to the middle of the table.
So if Brown is no longer untouchable for the Cs…who is?
Jayson Tatum and his ‘favorite teammate to play with’ Robert Williams are the only two untouchables on the Boston Celtics.
For a long time, pundits have called out the ‘Jays’ for not being friends off the floor. It doesn’t matter to the team’s success a single iota, but perhaps the two are less copasetic than what meets the eye.
Brown and Tatum both have the ability to lead a team, but Tatum will likely always be viewed as the top dog in Boston. I believe it’s a 1 and 1A situation, but most don’t view the game that way. People love the Batman and Robin dynamic, and Brown has been typecast by Robin by many.
It makes sense for him to seek a move. That said, if Brown does go, expect Tatum to stay a Celtic, and his ‘favorite teammate to play with‘, Robert Williams, to have similar immunity.
That is, unless Stevens is looking to detonate his depth chart completely and plunge to the bottom of the standings.
He’s not. Expect long-term stays for Tatum and the ‘Time Lord’ in Boston, especially if Brown isn’t long for Beantown himself. Stevens has reportedly been denying overtures for Williams this season and Tatum is the kind of superstar you start from scratch with, and he’s still only 23 years old.