There could be a time in the not-so-distant future when the Boston Celtics may have to dangle Jaylen Brown in trade offers because the 2021 NBA All-Star wants to be the primary leader for a new franchise.
Brown’s involvement in Kevin Durant trade rumors this past summer certainly seemed to have done damage based on JB’s social media behavior, but insiders have confirmed No. 7’s commitment–that’s No. 7 in green, of course–to Boston.
In fact, Brown is reportedly all in on staying with the Celtics for the long haul, ready to sign an extension in 2024 free agency when his potential salary jumps from $111 million maximum right now to $204 million then.
That didn’t stop FanNation’s Dallas Mavericks fan site from crafting a Jaylen Brown trade proposal that can be seen as insulting to some fans considering the role players that’d be coming back in return:
"Mavs receive: Jaylen BrownCeltics receive: Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, Josh Green, Jaden Hardy, 2025 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick and pick swaps in 2026 and 2028"
The number of draft picks is correct, but the Boston Celtics need better players in any Jaylen Brown trade
Former Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge may have very well changed the trade market forever with the historic hauls he received for Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert this past offseason. The Utah Jazz, the new franchise he is in control of, received Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three first-round picks, and two pick swaps from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Donovan Mitchell and sent Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, the draft rights to Walker Kessler (2022 No. 22 pick), three unprotected first-round picks, a top-five protected first-rounder, and the right to swap first-rounders with Minnesota in 2026.
With that in mind, Jaylen Brown’s potential trade return would have to rival the aforementioned Mitchell and Gobert returns. The one FanNation came up with does not.
That isn’t to say each individual player has no place in a trade package to the Boston Celtics. In fact, Dorian Finney-Smith and Maxi Kleber would be the perfect second and third best players brought back to Boston in any Brown trade arrangement with Mavericks.
Quite frankly, there is no one that immediately comes to mind on Dallas’ depth chart that would make sense as the lead piece in such a swap. Rosters could change by the time these two teams would hypothetically negotiate, but so could the number of Larry O’Brien trophies Boston has brought home.