Trade proposal brings Boston Celtics an All-Star, sends Jaylen Brown to hometown team

With Jaylen Brown criticizing a portion of the Boston Celtics fanbase for being toxic to the New York Times’ Sopan Debb, and further complaints about the city of Boston to The Ringer’s Logan Murdock, many fans are wondering if No. 7’s days in Beantown are numbered.

One reader in the latest Celtics Mailbag from MassLive’s Brian Robb believes the Cs need to try to recoup value in a trade, suggesting a trade proposal that would bring an All-Star back to Boston as well as a former lottery pick big.

Here’s the proposal:

The Boston Celtics may not get this much in a Jaylen Brown trade if teams know he wants out

Using the Knicks’ pursuit of Carmelo Anthony in 2011 as a cautious tale, teams may be wary of giving up too much in a trade for a star who has made it clear he wants out. Brown could be had in free agency in 2024 if he’s dead set on leaving, so teams would be foolish to give up too much before then.

This was Robb’s justification for why a deal involving Brown wouldn’t net such a treasure trove of assets from the Hawks — or any other team for that matter.

“To be honest, I’d be surprised if Atlanta is willing to offer that good of a deal for Brown if he wants out of Boston,” Robb wrote. “Murray is a borderline All-Star and Okongwu is a terrific big man prospect having a great second season. If Brown doesn’t want to re-sign in Boston, that’s about as good of a haul that the could hope for with the lack of leverage they would have in that situation. Would expect less in said scenario which is why the Celtics surely hope they never have to face it.”

We know the Hawks will be a Brown suitor when the time comes, but they’ll likely hold off on giving up too much knowing the allure of returning home could loom large for the Marietta native.