Grade the Trade: Should Celtics send Jaylen Brown to Warriors?

Should the Boston Celtics make this deal?

Jordan Poole’s value took a ding in this year’s playoffs, and rightfully so; he had a truly bad postseason, and that factors into how other teams evaluate him. Yet he also had a breakout playoffs just a season before, playing a key role in a title-winning team, and is one of a select group of guards who can create their own shot inside and outside the arc. He doesn’t always get to showcase it playing along and behind Curry, but his offensive game is special.

That’s a dynamic that the Celtics have not had since Kyrie Irving left, and it would give Jayson Tatum a very different look as a co-star. Moses Moody is a quintessential 3-and-D wing with some upside to be even more, and he should fit right into the rotation, if not start altogether. Jonathan Kuminga is at worst an athletic defensive forward, and at best he will be a future All-Star.

Add in two first-round picks, and that’s quite the haul back for Brown. The value in a vacuum is there, but does this deal solve the Celtics’ issues? They would roll out a rotation of Smart, Poole, Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, Moody, Tatum, Kuminga, Al Horford, and Robert Williams III, swapping Brown out for three players. They would get younger, more dynamic on offense, and still have good defensive pieces. The hit would be to their closing lineup, as they likely have to choose between Poole or Moody, or perhaps not play either.

It’s not a slam dunk deal, and while it does stretch out the window of contention it also probably lowers their chances of winning next season. In three years, Kuminga and Poole could be revealed to be bit players; they could also both be getting All-Star buzz, and the Celtics could easily be the title favorites. This deal has some risk involved, but it’s fascinating and intriguing and something worth discussing.

Grade: B+