Jaylen Brown is putting the league on notice - and it’s not just Celtics fans who are paying attention. As the NBA season hits its second half, Brown’s name is starting to surface in MVP conversations, and for good reason. With Jayson Tatum sidelined for stretches and Boston still holding strong near the top of the Eastern Conference, Brown’s leadership and production have been nothing short of elite.
Shams Charania recently spotlighted Brown’s impact during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, and he didn’t hold back. “You have to give Jaylen Brown a lot of credit,” Charania said.
“You think about MVP candidates - he has to be up there.” That’s not just lip service.
"Jaylen Brown has to be in the MVP conversation for what he's done with this Celtics team..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 23, 2026
Boston could be a team looking to make a move before the trade deadline" ~ @ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/3Brhpavexf
Brown’s been the engine behind Boston’s consistency, helping them stay in the top three of the East despite some serious lineup juggling.
Let’s talk numbers. In his 10th NBA season, Brown is playing the best basketball of his career.
Through 40 games, he’s averaging 29.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists and a steal per game. He’s shooting just under 49% from the field and a respectable 36.4% from deep - all while logging over 34 minutes a night.
That’s not just volume; that’s efficiency with a heavy workload, and it’s translating to wins. The Celtics are 27-16 and currently sit as the No. 2 seed in the East.
And it’s not just about the stats. Brown’s stepped into a leadership role with Tatum out, and he’s doing it on both ends of the floor.
He’s been named an All-Star starter and is tracking toward an All-NBA selection - accolades that reinforce just how central he’s been to Boston’s success. His ability to elevate his game when the team needs it most?
That’s the kind of intangible that MVP voters notice.
Looking ahead, Boston isn’t just standing pat. The trade deadline is approaching fast - Feb. 5 - and according to Charania, the Celtics could be buyers, not sellers.
That’s a shift from some of the cost-cutting moves they made last offseason, when they moved on from Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Now?
The front office may be eyeing reinforcements, especially in the frontcourt.
“They’ve been in the marketplace trying to get a big-time starting center,” Charania noted. “They’ve got assets, they’ve got contracts to play with.”
Names like Anfernee Simons and Payton Pritchard have been floated in speculation, but both have carved out key roles this season. Don’t be surprised if Boston decides to double down on this core and make a push - especially with how wide open the East is shaping up to be.
The conference picture is still murky. Detroit’s been the regular-season standout, but teams like Cleveland, Philadelphia, and New York are hovering. Boston, though, has the playoff pedigree - and now, with Brown playing at an MVP level, they’ve got a star who’s proven he can carry the weight.
The Celtics hit the road Friday night for a two-game swing, starting with the Brooklyn Nets. And as the trade deadline nears and Tatum’s return looms, all eyes will be on Brown to see if he can keep this MVP-caliber run going. One thing’s clear: if he does, Boston’s ceiling only gets higher.