I don't care if it's for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, or anybody else who might be on the move this offseason: unless the deal is way too good to pass up, the Boston Celtics shouldn't trade Jaylen Brown this summer.
And it's a little ridiculous that we're still having this discussion. Brown isn't a perfect player, but he won the Finals MVP award just two years ago and is fresh off the best season of his career. He's also just 29 years old and is in the middle of his prime right now.
There is some concern that he isn't worth the potential two-year, $142 million contract extension he's eligible for next month, but three things are true here: 1) it might be an overpay, but it's only two seasons, and I'd much rather overpay to keep him than avoid giving him a new deal, 2) I'd much rather give this contract to Brown than sign Antetokounmpo to a four-year, $275 million contract extension, and 3) it's not my money, and there's a 99.999999% chance it's not yours either.
If the Oklahoma City Thunder are dangling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in trade talks, or the Denver Nuggets with Nikola Jokic, then obviously trading Brown makes sense. But that's not the case here. The Celtics need to make some changes this summer, just not at the expense of the five-time All-Star.
Trading Jaylen Brown doesn't make much sense for the Celtics
It feels like a lot of people are forgetting that Brown and Jayson Tatum have already won a championship together. This discourse that they don't complement each other's games or that they need to be split up is insane.
Most teams in the NBA would kill to have two elite two-way wings who are in their prime, have won a championship together, and have the opportunity/time to win at least one more.
Trading Brown would maybe help boost Boston's championship odds right away (again... maybe), but there's a huge chance it would ruin its long-term outlook. He should still be a legitimate asset in 2030. I can't say the same about any of the names he has been linked to in the trade rumors.
The Celtics need to keep building around the Jays - not split them up
Let's turn the clock back to the 2023 offseason. The Celtics lost in the conference finals to a No. 8 seed Miami Heat team in seven games, and they had just lost to the Golden State Warriors in the finals in six games the year before. It's clear that they need to make some changes to get over the hump.
So what do they do?
They don't split up Brown and Tatum (much to the chagrin of the Boston media). Instead, they acquire some pieces to complement them and take their game and the team's dynamic up another level - Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. And we all know how that panned out: they dominated their way to another championship the very next season.
The Celtics are in their 2023 offseason phase right now. They need to make some changes. They need to get over the hump. And, just like they did then, they need to support their star duo and not split them up.
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