There has been a lot of talk about the Boston Celtics needing to trade Jaylen Brown this summer (stop me if you've heard that before), particularly in a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo. And it somewhat makes sense.
This Celtics team isn't good enough to compete for a title as is, and trading Brown and committing to Jayson Tatum as the No. 1 guy could either raise their ceiling by acquiring Antetokounmpo, or it could help them build a deeper team by acquiring multiple assets.
Here's the thing, though: Boston has already won a title with the Jays. And it was just two years ago. The rest of the team looks very different (no Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, or Luke Kornet), but the core (a.k.a., what really led to a championship in 2024) remains intact. And as long as Tatum and Brown are together (and in the midst of their primes), then the Celtics will be in a good spot moving forward... as long as they build the right team around them.
The Celtics' core is already established, breaking them up is unnecessary
There are so many teams around the NBA that wish they had what Boston has: two elite two-way wings who have been battle-tested and gone through the wringer together. It's tough to find just one two-way superstar wing, yet the Celtics have two of them. And they're both under 30 years old. And, again, THEY HAVE ALREADY WON A CHAMPIONSHIP TOGETHER.
It's not like we're entering Year 10 of the Brown-Tatum experiment and we're stuck wondering whether they can actually succeed together. We know the answer to that question. They each have at least five to six years of elite basketball in them. It's only right to let them (and the Celtics faithful) see this whole thing through and let them give back to the promised land together.
Boston needs to support Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum
Instead of making a big splash and trading the Georgia native, the Celtics need to pull a page out of their playbook from 2023 and make the right moves to support their core, not break them up.
What's the 2026 version of the Porzingis sign-and-trade? Or the Holiday trade? Boston doesn't win it all without either of them in 2024 (yes, even Porzingis. I don't care if he only played in seven games for the team that postseason. He opened up a whole new dynamic on the court for the Jays during the regular season, helped them secure the best record in the league, and was instrumental in their Game 1 finals victory), and it's important for the team to repeat that success this year.
(There are some intriguing free agents who can help bolster the Celtics' depth, fill in the margins, and give the Jays some more help, including some familiar faces like Robert Williams III, Marcus Smart, and Anfernee Simons.)
Regardless of how some fans may feel about Brown, he has been crucial to the team's success over the last decade. It's only fair that the team does right by him and gives him (and Tatum) an opportunity to raise another banner in TD Garden.
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