Jaylen Brown’s move to the 76ers may have caught plenty of people off guard, but the road to that deal was apparently lined with almosts, including one especially messy three-team swing that would have sent Kevin Durant to the Pistons and Alperen Sengun to Boston.
According to Brett Siegel, there were discussions around a package built on Durant, Brown, and Sengun. In that version, Durant would have landed in Detroit, the Celtics would have gotten Sengun, and Brown would have ended up with the Rockets. Houston, though, was not interested in the type of package on the table.
“The Celtics were gonna get Alperen Sengun, and then Jaylen Brown would’ve gone to the Rockets. Ultimately, Houston did not want that type of package.”
On paper, the framework makes a certain amount of sense. Every team would have walked away with a major piece without completely stripping the rest of the roster bare.
For Boston, the return of Sengun and picks would have looked better than what they actually received for Brown, which was aging Paul George plus two first-rounders. And the Celtics, at least in this version, would have paired an All-Star center with Jayson Tatum.
The resistance came from Houston. After a first-round loss to a shorthanded Lakers team, a Durant-for-Brown swap could have been defended as a move toward a younger and more versatile lead option.
But the Rockets clearly had their doubts about Brown as the guy to steer the ship. Given how low his trade value ultimately was, that hesitation looks a lot more understandable in hindsight.
It’s also worth remembering that Rockets coach Ima Udoka previously coached Brown, so he may have had his own read on the situation.
Detroit, meanwhile, would have been the cleanest winner on paper. Durant’s numbers this past season - 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game - would have made him a natural fit next to Cade Cunningham on the wing, and a big upgrade over Tobias Harris, who is now with the Spurs. Instead, the Pistons will have to keep searching for the right help around their young guard.
What this all reinforces is that Brown was never really a matter of if, but when and where. Boston had been looking to move him for a while, and these failed talks show how serious that was. They also underline a bigger league-wide reality: stars are becoming more movable, not less, and the new CBA rules and cap restrictions are making teams far more cautious about taking on huge contracts and complicated fits.
For Boston, the end result stings the most. The Celtics were reportedly in the mix for Giannis and Sengun at one point, but wound up with Paul George and draft picks instead. That’s the kind of outcome that leaves fans replaying the alternate versions in their heads long after the deal is done.
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