When it comes to NBA trade rumors, Boston Celtics All-Star wing Jaylen Brown has probably become accustomed to hearing his name mentioned every time a star player is rumored to be on the trade block by another team.
Whether it was Kawhi Leonard or James Harden, the Celtics have stayed pat on their stance that they will build their team around the tandem of Brown and Jayson Tatum.
But, as the green team continues to waver around the .500 mark, questions continue to rise as to whether Brown and Tatum can make players around them better. Individually, they are both unique talents, but can both be great together while making players around them better?
Should the Boston Celtics move on from Jaylen Brown?
Over the past couple weeks, they have proved how unbeaten the Celtics are when they both score 30 points or more. The problem is that the team as a collective continues to walk that balance beam of frustration that is driving fans crazy.
So, is it time to shake things up? Is it time to finally pull the trigger on a deal surrounding Jaylen Brown?
With so many intriguing rumors out there, any deal involving Brown will have to be a deal Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens feels would make the team better. That is, if it is Brown he decides to move.
So, as the NBA trade deadline approaches, let’s explore some of those rumored deals that should never happen.
Why the Boston Celtics should not trade Jaylen Brown for Domantas Sabonis
The Indiana Pacers, like the Boston Celtics, are a team that has been underachieving in the 2021-22 NBA season and are a team that is heavy on the rumor mill when it comes to key players like All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner and Caris LeVert.
Moving towards a rebuild, the Pacers would be looking for younger players to build their team around as well as draft picks. As Sabonis would be a nice addition for the Celtics, the price will probably center around a deal for Brown.
If somehow Stevens can pull a deal without involving the All-Star wing, I’m all for it, but if it takes Brown to bring Sabonis to Boston, this Celtics fan would have to jump off that bandwagon.
As a double-double machine, Sabonis would give the Celtics that big man they have been searching for. He is not as athletic as Robert Williams, but he can score around the rim and obviously one of the better big men in the league.
In thinking about Sabonis in green, he would bring energy to the team and offer a different style with his presence down low. Offensively not a huge drop although they would lose a little bit of punch as Brown is a more diverse scorer. Defensively is where the biggest decline would come, but in a three-man rotation with Al Horford and Williams, that defensive liability could be overshadowed.
The big question though is whether Stevens feels an addition of Sabonis will make the team overall better than a team lead by the duo of Tatum and Brown. In my opinion, the answer is no mostly because adding Sabonis to that tandem would really make this Celtics team rock.
In all, Stevens and the Celtics should never make this deal unless they can sway the Pacers to a deal that does not involve Jaylen Brown.
Why the Boston Celtics should not trade Jaylen Brown for Warriors’ youth and Andrew Wiggins
This rumor hasn’t been flying around, but it is a trade package idea that NBA insider Zach Lowe floated around during his ESPN “Lowe Post” podcast.
With guest Jeff Van Gundy, Lowe discussed trade possibilities centered about Jaylen Brown; trades that would be beneficial for both sides.
While there were some interesting packages, like Brown for Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox, Lowe goes a bit extreme in trading Brown to Golden State in a package involving Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, James Wiseman and Andrew Wiggins.
In this deal, it is suggested that the Celtics go through a reset of sort by filling the roster with younger players. If such a deal happened, it wouldn’t sit well with Jayson Tatum who is ready to win now.
As intriguing as James Wiseman would be, throwing in Wiggins is a big fat know. Although the Warriors wing is having a nice season, averaging 18.1 points a game, he hasn’t lived up to the hype and do too many of the things Tatum does on the court. As far as an upgrade when it comes to leadership? One could say adding Wiggins would be a step back in that area.
In all, Celtics fans won’t have to worry about this trade package idea picking up any steam. If the Stevens were to deal Brown, it wouldn’t be for younger players who haven’t established themselves yet or a player in Wiggins who has underachieved in the NBA.
Nice thought Zach Lowe…but umm…no!
Why the Boston Celtics should not trade Jaylen Brown for Ben Simmons
As long as the Ben Simmons’ saga continues in Philadelphia there will be rumors connecting him to the Boston Celtics.
Back towards the start of the 2021-22 NBA seasons, there were rumors that the Celtics were kicking the tires on a potential Simmons deal. But, with 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey apparently asking for Jaylen Brown in return, any possibility of the two Atlantic Division rivals making such a deal went out the window.
Recently, with the Sacramento Kings pursuing Simmons seemingly going down the drain, rumors could heat up again as the NBA Trade Deadline gets closer. That shouldn’t involve Brown. Even though Simmons is a better playmaker and defender, his lack of offensive fire power is what hurts this potential exchange.
Unless, the Celtics had another deal up their sleeve for another score, the 76ers would win that deal with Brown playing alongside Embiid vs Simmons and Tatum teaming up. Although a change of scenery may help get the All-Star point guard back on track, the Celtics and fans would go crazy watching Brown flourish in Philly.
With that alone, a Brown for Simmons deal is one that should never happen.
Overall, with the team’s need at point guard and power forward, the idea of Simmons is an intriguing one for the Celtics. But that is only if they could him obtain without having to give up Jaylen Brown. Unless Morey can’t get the type of return he is asking for and Simmons refuses to play, perhaps this possibility could happen.
Why the Boston Celtics shouldn’t trade Jaylen Brown for Bradley Beal
Unless something unforeseen happens, the Washington Wizards are probably not trading three-time All-Star Bradley Beal unless he really wants off the team.
If he requests a trade, you better believe the Boston Celtics will be at the top of that list as far as a destination due to his relationship with Jayson Tatum. To make that happen this season, Jaylen Brown would obviously be a casualty.
With Beal on the last year of his contract, the Celtics and Tatum could lure Beal in the offseason. If that is in the plans, trading Brown would then make sense because all three are really the same type of player, although Beal would be an upgrade over Brown or at least considered an upgrade.
As Brown has really become a consistent scorer and shooter in the league, trading him in a package for Beal really wouldn’t make the Celtics as a team better. It may inspire Tatum who seems to take his game to another level playing against and with his childhood buddy, but overall, it would move the needle that much.
Now if you tell me Brad Stevens could maneuver deals to land Beal and Simmons, parting ways with Brown, Marcus Smart and whatever else it would take is a no-brainer, but talent wise a Brown for Beal swap is only worth it if there’s an absolute guarantee it would propel Tatum into a top 5 player in the league.