In the wake of a pair of interviews from star Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown that hint the former No. 3 pick might not want to stay with the ball club that drafted him out of Cal-Berkeley in 2016 beyond his current deal pending how both sides’ interests line up has fans and analysts scrambling to read into his comments clues about what the Georgia native might elect to do next in terms of basketball.
It could very well be a simple guarded response from Brown to suggest he’ll remain with the team if he feels needed, but other replies in his interviews have also given hints that the star forward is not entirely happy with his role on the team in the present as well.
To try and get a different set of eyes on this conundrum, Heavy’s Sean Deveney reached out to a number of NBA executives, granting them anonymity so that they can speak freely.
How irked is Brown, and what does the team need to do to retain him in the future? https://t.co/lSVdGvCUlx
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 23, 2023
“Jaylen is a smart man, he kind of sees through some of the BS of the league,” related one regarding Brown’s noncommital response to whether he planned to re-sign with the Celtics when his current deal ends the offseason after next.
“It would be of no advantage to him to come out and say, ‘Hell yeah, I want to stay in Boston and I’ll sign whatever they give me.’ That might be the popular answer, but he is not going to give the popular answer. Things change fast in the NBA, and who knows where they might be in two years?”
That his former teammate and friend Kyrie Irving found himself reviled for making a suggestion he would be back could certainly also be playing a role after Irving decided he wanted to be elsewhere.
The Celtics star and M88 hope ” to create and develop opportunities for Brown in both the entertainment and strategic partnership spaces”. https://t.co/mwxdHE5azo
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 23, 2023
Interestingly, his hometown Atlanta Hawks have an interest in bringing the Marietta native on according to one unnamed exec. “One reason the Hawks are trying to unload (John) Collins is to get that cap space and be in position to add someone, another star, with Trae,” they shared.
“It is not easy to get free agents to Atlanta but Jaylen Brown would be different—they want to be in position, at least, to make a move if he wants to be there. I think there is no question they are watching the situation with him. Closely.”
The Chicago Bulls could also be an interested party, per another source.
Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell on life beyond basketball https://t.co/AlmKjCBSyU
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 23, 2023
“They’re locked into the team they have but they’re also being protective of that cap space going forward—they’ll have a lot in 2024,” suggested the anonymous executive.
“They will want to be in the mix on anyone they can get in free agency. Brown and (Zach) LaVine, that makes more sense than LaVine and (DeMar) DeRozan.”
Could the Los Angeles Clippers be interested as well? Per another unnamed source, it’s a situation to monitor.
Our sister site HoopsHype scouted the entire NBA, and this is what they think of the Celtics. https://t.co/0eXoW3guLH
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 23, 2023
“Would they want to go into their (new) building with the same old tired roster at that point? I don’t think so,” queried an Eastern Conference executive.
“They’ve been very aggressive every step of the way and if they had to get rid of one of their stars to have a new beginning with a guy like Jaylen Brown, you’d have to think they’d try. That’s a place he could be a No. 1 option and that might be more important to him than people think.”
The Milwaukee Bucks also loom as a potential threat, according to sources.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart KG Certified interview part 2 https://t.co/PMVDaQ5ArR
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 23, 2023
“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,” offered an unnamed general manager.
“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.”
Even the Golden State Warriors could be a team to watch per another, given “he’d be a fit there and they could sell him on being the top option as Steph takes more of a back seat. Getting the money to work would be the problem.”
Those doubts were put to rest after he reached out to check, but why did Brad Stevens and Jayson Tatum wait for Brown to ask? https://t.co/pwaRd6RmgJ
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 22, 2023
The threat of Brown being poached is real, and depending on how internal talks with the star go (and the fortunes of his current team and their ability to extend him, for that matter), the ball club can decide whether they feel confident in retaining his services.
Or whether it makes more sense to try and extract some sort of value for his contract in a deal they will not likely get close to his true value as a player given the circumstances of his impending free agency.
“Me and Kyrie didn’t really see eye to eye when we was here,” explained Brown. https://t.co/kHPuEJhJuy
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 22, 2023
Let’s hope it is more of the former than the latter.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
