The Boston Celtics took a huge risk by trading star Jaylen Brown this offseason (particularly to the Philadelphia 76ers... for Paul George and picks), and many, many, many fans still aren't on board with the team's decision. That's completely understandable, and it's going to be a long time for that to change, if it ever does.
Still, there are reasons to think trading Brown could actually benefit Boston in the long run (more roster and financial flexibility, it should be easier to run Joe Mazzulla's system, and the Celtics should get big jumps from numerous players with their expanded roles).
Only time will tell if this trade works out in the end for the Celtics, but in the meantime, there are four players worth keeping an eye on who may have something to say about it.
1. Jayson Tatum
This seems pretty obvious, no?
For the first time in his NBA career, Jayson Tatum is about to be the undisputed No. 1 option, and fans should be ecstatic about what this could look like.
The Duke alum has established himself as one of the best players in the entire league, finishing top-10 in MVP voting four times and earning All-NBA honors five times. Yet, he did all of that while sharing the load with Brown, a two-way, ball-dominant wing.
With one half of "the Jays" now out of the picture, this is Tatum's opportunity to prove that he was always Boston's top guy. And if he can make the jump many believe he can (and probably should) next season, then the team's decision to trade Brown in order to fully give him the reins and unlock his full potential will look like a genius one.
2. Paul George
Ignoring that acquiring George was a direct result of the mostly ridiculed Brown trade (at least from Boston's side), the Celtics are taking a big risk, banking on him staying healthy to help them compete as their No. 2 option.
The 36-year-old can still play (he averaged 17.4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.4 steals on 48.9/55/77.8% shooting splits while playing great defense in seven playoff games against the Celtics last season), though, and on paper, he is an incredible fit in Mazzulla's system (he can shoot, defend, and playmake better than Brown could, and he has more experience being a connector and fully embracing the sidekick role).
For the Brown trade to work out in the end for the Celtics, George's performances will likely be the biggest direct needle-mover. If he can showcase exactly what he still has left in the tank while being a great complement to Tatum, then the California native may ultimately be a great pick-up for Boston.
3. Payton Pritchard
Outside of probably Tatum, Payton Pritchard is the player who benefits the most from Boston trading Brown. He will now take on a bigger offensive role (whether as a starter or a sixth man remains to be seen), and he should be in for a career year with a higher usage rate and more volume.
The Oregon alum is a certified bucket-getter, but his opportunities have always been limited with the Celtics. In 79 games last season (most without Tatum and with Brown), Pritchard averaged 17 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 46.4/37.7/89% shooting splits in 32.4 minutes. That should be a sneak peek into what the Celtics should expect from Pritchard moving forward, and in reality, he never would have gotten this opportunity to break out if it weren't for the Brown trade.
4. Hugo Gonzalez
This one is two-fold.
1) Hugo Gonzalez, like a ton of other players on Boston's roster, has a bigger opportunity to play a consistent role following the Brown trade. It's clear that the Celtics like Gonzalez a lot, and fans should expect to see a lot more out of him next season, so if he can live up to the hype and meet his expectations, then the Spanish native may make Brown's absence hurt just a little bit less.
2) Fans of rival teams will probably never let Celtics fans live this down (or at least not for a very long time), but as the story goes, Boston chose not to include Gonzalez (or Baylor Scheierman and more draft picks) in its trade package for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and that's ultimately why he ended up with the Miami Heat.
Gonzalez taking that next step will be good for the Celtics for multiple reasons, and it is easy to see a world where he becomes one of their most important players in the near future. Boston obviously has high hopes for him, and it's now up to him to prove them right.
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