SCIC: If Boston Celtics get off to a rough start, Jaylen Brown can demand trade

If the Boston Celtics don’t continue their winning ways from January to Game 3 of the NBA Finals, it could cost them their 2021 All-Star and 1A superstar, Jaylen Brown — this at least according to Sir Charles In Charge’s Michael Saenz.

Saenz said that ‘if the Celtics get off to a rough start this season, which considering their unfortunate end to the offseason wouldn’t be surprising, perhaps Brown sees an opportunity for him to hit the escape button,’ in his piece titled ‘8 stars most likely to demand a trade in 2023.’

Brown has two guaranteed years left on his current deal with Boston at $26.7 million guaranteed in 2022-23 and $28.5 million in his contract year in 2023-24. Sources have reported he is all in on a future with the Cs, but that was before head coach Ime Udoka was suspended for the entire upcoming season — set to kick off October 18 against the Philadelphia 76ers — due to inappropriate comments made towards a female employee in the Boston Celtics organization he had previously had an affair with.

Being mentioned in Kevin Durant trade rumors all summer didn’t seem to affect Brown, but the Udoka situation and how it was handled by the franchise could have done the trick instead.

The biggest threats for Jaylen Brown the Boston Celtics must stave off

Sir Charles In Charge’s Michael Saenz was likely onto something regarding the idea of Jaylen Brown bolting the Boston Celtics if the team doesn’t recover from this past offseason, so if by midseason No. 7 hits the trade market, there will be plenty of suitors.

One of the more interesting suitors would be the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks could offer the likes of John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, and Onyeka Okongwu in a potential swap. Those three could help set the stage of a future core surrounding Jayson Tatum.

Another that has been mentioned is the Los Angeles Lakers. Heavy’s Sean Deveney reported that a league executive heard from a well-placed mole that Brown can be interested in playing with LeBron James eventually:

"“Obviously, a star comes up when the Lakers have cap space and there is going to be that speculation. There are players who want to play for the Lakers because they’re the Lakers and they’re in L.A., but I don’t think Brown is an L.A. guy that way. It’s more just because he’d want to play with LeBron, if LeBron was going to stay there, if Davis stays healthy, if they are back to competing in the West and not just trying to make a play-in. That’s the lure for anyone in that free-agent class.”"

Anthony Davis would be needed to get a deal done, but if the Lakers would be willing to accept a package that doesn’t also include Marcus Smart — or if it does, a boat load of future draft picks and swaps as well.

Finally, if the Brooklyn Nets are in a similar boat struggling out of the gates this season, perhaps a Kevin Durant for Jaylen Brown swap could finally go down. Kings County, New York is a place to watch if they can’t successfully integrate Ben Simmons into the lineup.