Celtics news & rumors: Jaylen Brown’s insomnia; Aaron Gordon buzz

It has been a bittersweet season for Boston Celtics first time All-Star Jaylen Brown.

Averaging over 24 points a game this season, Brown has established himself as a legit NBA star on the court in all areas except leadership.

That is where the 2020-21 NBA campaign has been a failure for the fifth-year wing who is losing sleep at night as one of the leaders of a team that is underachieving so far this season, if the team is even that good in the first place to be considered underachieving.

But a team with Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker should at least beat the teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings.  That’s where that leadership comes in.

Boston Celtics lacking leadership and Jaylen Brown is losing sleep

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Following the team’s latest disappointing loss, Brown opened up about his role in his team’s failure to win games as of late.

"“My job is to just come out and play basketball and inspire guys to play hard and compete to win I haven’t done a good job with that,” Brown said Friday, as transcribed by NESN.  “And that’s something that has been a challenge.  Now to me, I accept that challenge, I’ve got to do a better job of, you know, being a leader.”"

There is that word again, “leader.”

Whether it’s Walker, Tatum or Marcus Smart, the Celtics have a core of players who all want to display their leadership and feel they should be better.  Perhaps that is the issue.  Perhaps there are too many players who want to be the leader and not one player stepping up to be the ultimate leader on and off the court.

With his combination of talent on the court and maturity off-the-court, perhaps Jaylen Brown is the ultimate dude.  Sure, Tatum can be Batman, but Brown can still be Superman.  There are different ways to be a hero, there are different ways to be a leader.

Jaylen Brown went on to admit he has to do a better job and that he “lose sleep at night because of that.”

Well, before the season gets too far away from the entire team, maybe it’s time to wake up.  The alarm clock has been going off for the past few weeks.

NBA trade rumors: the price for Aaron Gordon

With the Orlando Magic coming to town, the Boston Celtics will have another chance to take a closer look at two players they have been rumored in trades with.

One player is big man Nikola Vucevic.  The other player is a more versatile player in Aaron Gordon.

How Gordon would fit on this Celtics team would be interesting.  His versatility and raw talent, along with his upside could help improve the team, but what would be the asking price?

According to Mike Singer of the Denver Post, the Magic would be looking for a “young player or players, a draft pick.”

That doesn’t sound like too much for Danny Ainge to pull the trigger unless that young player or players include Robert Williams.

Otherwise, a draft pick and players like Aaron Nesmith, Romeo Langford and perhaps a Grant Williams should be something the Celtics are willing to do in order to obtain Gordon, who is just 25 and under contract through 2022.

Of course, other teams are rumored to be in the mix, so if the Celtics have any interest in using most of their $28.5 million traded player exception on Gordon, they will have to step up the offer and put their marbles on a talented young player reaching his ceiling in Boston.