Warriors overthrew Steph Curry's timeline over flawed Jaylen Brown take

It certainly appears like the Boston Celtics were willing to move on from Jaylen Brown leading up to this year's trade deadline. That's despite recently earning his first career nod as an All-Star Game starter and being sixth on NBA.com's MVP ladder at the time.

Even with his individual success, while leading a Boston team that sat second in the East, in a season spent defying external expectations, there are reports of the Celtics discussing multiple Brown-based proposals.

That includes exploring the possibility of landing Giannis Antetokounmpo and striking a deal with the Golden State Warriors.

The latter was a prospect that Logan Murdock of The Ringer recently reported on.

"Should they have gotten in on the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes? The Warriors had an opportunity to trade for the former Celtic before the deadline in February," conveyed Murdock. "But couldn't build an organizational consensus that Brown would be the right player to carry the Warriors beyond the Curry era."

What the Warriors got wrong in not trading for Jaylen Brown

The cost to acquire the two-time All-NBA Second Team selection figured to have been around the same as what the Celtics were asking Golden State for at last month's draft.

Boston reportedly wanted four first-round picks in exchange for sending the former Cal Berkeley star back to the Bay Area. A deal of this nature, whether it happened in February or June, would include Jimmy Butler for salary-matching purposes.

With Brown on board, the Warriors would have given themselves a chance to maximize another season with Stephen Curry still capable of leading a title contender.

Experience guided them past the Celtics to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2022. Maybe it would have helped them prevail against the San Antonio Spurs while injuries, most notably to Jalen Williams, undermined the Oklahoma City Thunder.

If their logic were to preserve their draft capital to reel in a different big fish that they fancied more than Brown, it would have been understandable. However, a player of the former Finals MVP's caliber suggests taking the bird in the hand was a prudent approach.

The Warriors are failing Stephen Curry

Now it's nearly August, and Golden State hasn't set off any summer fireworks. Instead, the San Francisco-based club passed on the chance to acquire Anthony Davis and LeBron James at a steep discount.

The organization appears to be putting too much stock in planning for the Post-Curry era. Given the level their franchise star is playing at, it's fair not to bank on Brown, who turns 30 in October, taking the torch from him after he hangs up his blue and gold jersey for the final time.

However, they didn't have to. Instead, they could have done right by the individual most responsible for sending their franchise into a different stratosphere from when they had little attention or success before his arrival. They could have regained their status as championship contenders.

And when Curry walked away, perhaps the Warriors could have traded Brown for a new player to build around. After all, the Philadelphia 76ers just got an All-NBA talent whose name was in the MVP conversation for Paul George and two first-round picks. And stars change teams faster in the NBA than any other league.

They weren't going to make the deal because of the possibility that Brown defied their expectations, but his presence would have put them one major move away from achieving the post-Curry era success they're dreaming of.

Instead, that fixation is hurting their present outlook. It's a slap in the face to Curry and their other franchise stalwart, Draymond Green. If Golden State doesn't change course, it better build a better future than when the Warriors tried to juggle two different timelines, only to watch it blow up in their face. What they're doing now has a whiff of that same scent.

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