Boston Celtics: CP floats idea of a Jaylen Brown-Zion Williamson swap

The Boston Celtics are ascending up the Eastern Conference and were labeled as the betting favorite for the NBA Championship just last week.

So of course the internet wants to split up the ‘Jays’ by trading Jaylen Brown away for a superstar who has yet to even prove durable enough to play a full season.

ClutchPoints’ Diego Vergel de Dios mentioned Brown’s name in the same breath as Zion Williamson in a piece titled ‘3 reasons Celtics must trade for Zion Williamson this offseason’.

Williamson’s relationship with the New Orleans Pelicans is seemingly deteriorating quickly after rumors of the third-year former #1 pick not speaking with his teammates (including new teammate C.J. McCollum for weeks after his acquisition).

Would he be a fit on the Cs? Well, Vergel de Dios seems to think so:

"If indeed Williamson joins the Beantown Boys in the offseason, the eyeballs and pressure may dwindle as he would be second fiddle behind Duke superstar Jayson Tatum. It would be better if Jaylen Brown would still be with the Celtics if they execute this trade, but he will likely be part of the deal. Tatum and Brown have consistently expressed their willingness to stay together long term, but the front office could go on another direction if they fail to achieve another deep playoff run this season."

The Boston Celtics have the assets for a Zion Williamson trade, but that doesn’t mean they’d bite on a deal.

In acquiring Derrick White, President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens added yet another prime asset for a team in need of offloading a superstar that could still contend even after such a transaction.

Marcus Smart is another piece that could be used in an arrangement for a superstar. Both names have been tied to Bradley Beal.

Either could join Brown in a Williamson trade. But they won’t.

As high of a ceiling as Williamson has, Stevens knows the fanbase would revolt if the team were to part with two longtime Cs for a disgruntled superstar who has never once proven capable of even co-featuring on a postseason squad.

If Anthony Davis wasn’t worth trading Brown for in 2019, Williamson sure as hell isn’t worth it in 2022 considering the leaps #7 has made in green since.