The Jaylen Brown trade picture keeps circling back to Portland, and one name could help make the whole thing click: Robert Williams III.
Boston would prefer to keep Brown, but the salary-cap fallout is making that a difficult path to hold onto. That has opened the door for a market, and the Trail Blazers stand out as one of the most logical landing spots. They have the draft capital and young talent to get the Celtics’ attention, and Williams could be the piece that helps bridge the gap.
Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported last night - and not for the first time - that Boston wants Williams back. As Fischer and Stein wrote, "It's believed that (Kevon) Looney is also on Boston's list of center targets, which is likewise known to feature former Celtics big man Robert Williams III."
That interest makes sense on Boston’s end. The Celtics want help in the frontcourt, and because they’re firmly under the tax, they can also work a sign-and-trade. Williams is an unrestricted free agent, which gives Boston a path to use that flexibility if Portland is serious about pushing a Brown deal across the finish line.
Still, Williams would not be the centerpiece of any return. He’d be more of the lever that makes the trade easier to build, especially if Portland doesn’t want to feel like it’s giving up too much to land Brown.
Boston’s interest in Williams is easy to understand. He knows the organization, and he has the kind of talent that can play starter minutes when healthy.
The problem, as always, is availability. Injuries have followed him throughout his career, and that has kept his market from fully taking off.
His time in Portland hasn’t changed that storyline much. Up until this past season, he had appeared in only 26 games combined with the Trail Blazers in his first two years there. That history is why expecting Boston to bring him back and hand him the starting job would be a risky bet.
Portland already adjusted to that reality by bringing him off the bench behind Donovan Clingan. Boston could do the same if it ends up bringing Williams back. But the bigger point remains the same: if the Celtics want Timelord back, and there’s a clear reason they might, he’d be part of the return package - not the whole thing.
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Celtics May Already Have Their Jaylen Brown Replacement In Mind
Bostons roster shakeup has already pushed the front office into the market, and the next move could hinge on how aggressively it wants to turn the assets from the Jaylen Brown deal into a new wing piece. The Celtics came away with first-round picks in that swap, giving them the kind of draft capital that can keep them active if they decide to chase a player who fits the age and timeline of the group they are trying to build.
The catch is that the path forward may not be simple. New Orleans is not expected to rush into any decision, and even if the right player does become available, Boston would not be alone in the hunt. For a team that just changed the shape of its core, the coming weeks could determine whether this is a reset, a retool, or the start of another aggressive swing. [Read more 🡒]
Former Celtics Champion Rips Brad Stevens Over Stunning Franchise Move
Kendrick Perkins did not hold back after the Celtics stunning decision to move Jaylen Brown, publicly blasting the front office and putting Brad Stevens squarely in the spotlight. The trade sent Brown to Philadelphia for Paul George and multiple draft picks, a deal that immediately raised eyebrows around the league and left Boston fans trying to make sense of a franchise cornerstone being shipped out.
What makes the move even harder to parse is the timing and the uncertainty around what comes next. Boston has not offered an official explanation, and it is still unclear whether Stevens is done reshaping the roster or if more moves are on the way, leaving this as more than just a blockbuster trade and turning it into a referendum on how the Celtics plan to chase the next title. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Simmons Had The Perfect Celtics Fan Reaction To Jaylen Brown Trade
Bill Simmons has spent years talking Celtics, but even by his standards, this one landed in a bizarre spot. While recovering from a colonoscopy, the longtime Boston fan got word that Jaylen Brown had been traded, and he later relayed the moment on his podcast, where the timing alone made the news feel even more surreal.
The reaction fit the kind of off-kilter sports moment Simmons has built a career around, especially with Brown suddenly on the move after so much speculation about his future. For Celtics fans, it was the latest reminder that the franchises biggest decisions can still arrive in the most unexpected ways, and in this case, the first person processing it was apparently still coming out of anesthesia. [Read more 🡒]