The Jaylen Brown trade talk keeps shifting, but the field of serious suitors is starting to narrow. On Sunday, Michael Scotto reported that the Trail Blazers, Nets, Raptors and Nuggets were the four teams actively chasing Brown, and that was confirmed by multiple sources. Then on Monday morning, Vincent Goodwill of ESPN added the Clippers to the mix.
So if Brown does get moved, those are the five teams that appear to be in the hunt. And while none of them may be able to put together a package that pushes Boston into a deal, the Celtics would still have to sort through very different types of offers.
Some would bring young talent. Some would bring picks.
One would mostly bring back win-now help. And one, at least on paper, barely makes sense at all.
Portland looks like the most appealing place for Boston to start. The Blazers are being stubborn, but if they were willing to include Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan, that would give the Celtics a promising young point guard and center to work with right away and down the line.
Shaedon Sharpe would also be interesting, while Toumani Camar would give them a defensive standout. Jerami Grant’s contract is ugly, though not meaningless.
The real draw, though, is the draft capital, especially the Milwaukee picks. If Boston could land one of those young combinations plus three or four picks, that would be a strong return.
Denver offers a different kind of value. The Nuggets do not really have the kind of young players or draft picks that would usually headline a Brown trade, but they can put together a package that keeps the Celtics competitive.
Jamal Murray’s health and contract are both a question, even if he is coming off an All-NBA season. Aaron Gordon’s health is also a concern, but he would fit in Boston.
Cam Johnson and Christian Braun could also be included. It would be a major reshuffling, but it is the one deal type that would not force Boston into a dramatic immediate step back.
If the Celtics are focused on clearing the books, Brooklyn may be the cleanest route. The Nets can offer Michael Porter Jr.’s expiring $40.8 million salary and attach a pile of draft picks.
They do owe picks to Houston, but their own firsts, along with a valuable Denver 2032 pick, could still be appealing. That kind of package would give Boston flexibility with both assets and money if the goal is a reset.
Toronto has at least one thing going for it: its own picks. A deal would mean Boston taking back difficult money in either Brandon Ingram or Immanuel Quickley, though Ja’Kobe Walter could be the sort of younger piece the Celtics would ask for.
The Raptors’ real strength is that they control all their picks and could send every pick and swap they are allowed to trade. It is not a dazzling offer, but with the new lottery odds, it is not nothing either.
The Clippers are the strangest fit of the bunch. A Brown deal with Los Angeles does not appear to make much sense for either side.
The source of the problem is simple: Boston would not be getting much to build around. There is no expectation that the Clippers would move Darius Garland or Keaton Wagler, and without that kind of centerpiece, they do not have much to satisfy the Celtics.
They are also short on draft picks and do not have a young player who would really move the needle.
That is the broader takeaway from all of this. There does not seem to be a clear home run on the table for Boston right now. The Celtics could chase picks, young players or a different kind of win-now fit, but none of the options looks better in the short term than keeping Brown.
That may end up being Brad Stevens’ call. He may need to repair the relationship, but that would not be the first difficult situation he has handled. Brown is smart, has three years left on his deal, and there is no reason to think he would quit on the team or push for a trade.
There is always the possibility of a three-team deal that changes the picture, but that remains hypothetical. For now, the best realistic outcome still looks like keeping Brown, if that remains on the table. If it does not, Celtics fans may be left waiting for a trade package that feels underwhelming.
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