Jaylen Brown would be ‘ideal fit’ next to 2x MVP if he leaves Boston Celtics
Should Jaylen Brown leave the Boston Celtics during 2024 free agency — or if he asks for a trade out sometime before then, something that is now seemingly on the table given his recent interview with The Ringer –, Heavy’s Sean Deveney sees him as an ideal fit next to 2x MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.
“Khris Middleton is 31 and will be a free agent in 2024 — Jrue Holiday is 32, and will be in the last year of his contract,” Deveney prefaced before saying, “The Bucks could be on the hunt for a star player to join Giannis Antetokounmpo for the second half of his NBA career, and Brown would be an ideal fit.”
An unnamed NBA executive also saw the vision in a Brown-Antetokounmpo pairing. “Giannis is 28 now, and they have to be thinking about who is going to be around him when he is 32, 33 years old,” the anonymous general manager said. “They need guys in his age bracket. Depending on where the cap lands, they might have to make a move to make it work but they would have a very good pitch to make to Jaylen if he’s available.”
NBA teams ‘might march in protest’ if Jaylen Brown bolts Boston Celtics for Golden State
Due to Brown’s ties to northern California after his career at Cal, the Warriors were listed as a potential future landing spot by Deveney — who added the caveat that such a move is highly unlikely.
“Brown went to Cal and still has ties to the Bay Area—with a little creativity, the Warriors potentially could get Brown to San Francisco,” Deveney wrote.
The same unnamed executive believes there’d be a league-wide backlash to such a move. “All the NBA teams might march out in protest if that happens,” the NBA executive said. “Like the Warriors have not had enough good fortune.”
A role as Golden State’s No. 1 option as Steph Curry’s career reaches its twighlight years could be in the cards for Brown according to the anonymous GM. “He’d be a fit there and they could sell him on being the top option as Steph takes more of a back seat,” the GM said.
The salary cap could ultimately make such a deal all but impossible, though. “Getting the money to work would be the problem.”