The Celtics are still working the market on Jaylen Brown, and they’re not exactly being subtle about it. ESPN’s Shams Charania said Monday morning on SportsCenter that Boston “spent the entire weekend canvassing the league for Jaylen Brown trades,” and the team is now trying to see whether a third or fourth club can be pulled into the mix to help make some of the possible deals work.
The asking price is steep enough to stop plenty of conversations before they really get going. Charania said Boston has “set a really high bar” for Brown, and confirmed the Celtics are looking for as many as four first-round picks in return for the All-Star wing.
Around the league, that price is already creating confusion. Some teams Charania has spoken with are “having a hard time figuring out what Brown’s actual market is.”
At this point, there’s skepticism that a trade even exists at that number, with some rival executives thinking Boston may have to accept a return “that might not look like a great return.”
Charania also said Brown’s reaction to the constant trade chatter could matter when it comes to how urgently the Celtics push to move him.
Elsewhere, Kawhi Leonard’s future with the Clippers is drawing attention again. Charania reported in an ESPN story that trade talks between the Clippers and Raptors surfaced because Los Angeles has not made a long-term commitment to Leonard this offseason. He also wrote that Leonard’s representatives told other teams he would only be interested in signing an extension with Toronto if the Clippers decide to trade him.
There’s also a possible reunion on the radar in Miami. Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald reported that the Heat have interest in bringing Giannis Antetokounmpo’s longtime teammate Khris Middleton to the team. Middleton is set to be a free agent after finishing this season with Dallas.
In New York, Jordan Clarkson remains in play for a return to the Knicks. Stefan Bondy of The New York Post reported that Clarkson is “still a possibility” in free agency, even though the Knicks want to stay under the second apron. Other roster moves could end up deciding whether New York can bring him back.
And in Phoenix, the Suns are looking ahead after adding Miles Bridges from Charlotte. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 said the team hopes to extend Bridges and is also weighing several free-agent shooting guards to take Grayson Allen’s spot. Gambadoro added that there’s “no chance” Phoenix will get involved in a trade for Grizzlies guard Ja Morant.
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One name that continues to linger in league chatter is Ja Morant, who has reportedly been available since the trade deadline and remains one of the more intriguing possibilities if Phoenix keeps hunting for another major upgrade. The fit would naturally raise bigger questions about the Suns backcourt rotation and what kind of guard-heavy package they might be willing to consider, but for now it remains a rumor with plenty of moving parts and no transaction to point to yet. [Read more 🡒]
Miles Bridges Arrival Could Set Up The Suns Move Fans Want
Miles Bridges arrival in Phoenix has already changed the board for the Suns, at least in a roster-building sense. The move opens up a spot and keeps the front office active at a time when the team still looks like its searching for the right backcourt fit alongside Devin Booker.
What makes this more interesting is that the Suns now have a little more flexibility to keep working the trade market, with several names suddenly back in the conversation. Not every big-name rumor around Phoenix carries real weight, but the Bridges addition at least gives the front office another pathway if it wants to chase a point guard upgrade and keep reshaping the roster around a tougher, more balanced identity. [Read more 🡒]
Miles Bridges Fallout Has Suns Fans Bracing For Ishbia's Next Move
The aftershocks of Phoenixs trade for Miles Bridges are still being felt, and the reaction around the move has only sharpened the focus on how Mat Ishbia likes to build his roster. Bridges has drawn criticism since arriving from Charlotte, and the conversation has quickly shifted beyond the deal itself to what it might mean for the Suns frontcourt mix and the kinds of players Ishbia may chase next.
Phoenix already has a forward group that looks crowded on paper, with Bridges and Dillon Brooks setting the tone on the wing, but there is also room for another change if the right opportunity comes along. Ishbias Michigan State ties have become part of the discussion, too, since they add another layer to how fans are reading his decision-making as they wait to see whether the Suns keep tweaking the roster or stand pat. [Read more 🡒]