Monday’s newsletter from NBA Insider Marc Stein included some unexpected intel about teams who have hopes of trading for Jaylen Brown this summer. Stein reported that there are some people around the league that believe that the Houston Rockets, as well as the Portland Trail Blazers, and Atlanta Hawks, would be interested in landing Brown this summer.
Now, the report came in the context of Boston likely needing a third team to make a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster come to fruition.
Nonetheless, if what Stein is saying is true, Houston could be a landing spot for Brown in or outside of a trade for Giannis.
Without landing the Greek Freak, though, it’s tough to imagine a move like that truly paying dividends for the Celtics -- despite the way some fans reacted online when the reporting surfaced.
Photoshops (or AI images) of Rockets center Alperen Sengun in a Celtics jersey quickly started to flood the Celtics Twittersphere along with mock trades that sent Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard, and more to Boston.
The Rockets have legitimate trade interest in Jaylen Brown, per @TheSteinLine.
— Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) May 25, 2026
Houston can build an offer centered around Kevin Durant or Alperen Sengun with future first-round picks and additional assets attached. https://t.co/xJDzOCn7p4
The Celtics have to be overly careful with any possible Jaylen Brown trade
Simply put, none of that is enough.
Trading Jaylen Brown shouldn’t be something that the Cs are thinking about unless said trade is going to make the team better. Brown’s been a Celtic for a decade now. He’s won a title, Finals MVP, and was just named to the All-NBA Second Team after the best season of his career.
If he or the Celtics want a split this summer, then it’ll be a move that the team can’t miss on. They have to capitalize on the return and not just do something for the sake of shaking up the roster.
Boston isn’t looking to take a step back -- at least based on Brad Stevens’ “this isn’t good enough” themed press conference after the team’s playoff elimination. Sengun and company wouldn’t be a proper return. They wouldn’t make up for the shot-making ability that the Cs would be sending out in Brown.
The only way that the Celtics would benefit from sending Brown to Houston would be if it resulted in Giannis ending up in Boston.
Sengun and Kevin Durant (the Rockets won’t trade Amen Thompson) don’t raise the ceiling for the Cs. The former has been a dreadful playoff performer for Houston. He struggled to put the ball in the basket in each of the last two postseason runs, shooting 45% and 47% from the field while mostly taking shots from inside the arc.
This spring, those struggles came against DeAndre Ayton, perhaps the most apathetic NBA player of all time. Sengun was bad, and there’s a reason why his name is coming up in trade rumors.
As for Durant, he’s had an incredible career and can still contribute to winning on a high level, but the longevity just isn’t there for him at 37 years old.
Trading Brown has to pay dividends for years to come, not just for one or two. Even the Rockets’ draft chest doesn’t offer the avenue for that to happen. The unfortunate reality is that JB is more valuable to the Celtics than just about any other team with the assets to make dealing him worthwhile.
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