Getty Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Jaylen Brown has been a hot topic of conversation since the Boston Celtics season came to an abrupt end at the hands of the Golden State Warriors.
With Kevin Durant reportedly asking the Brooklyn Nets for a trade, Brown has been the unanimous makeweight in trade proposals from the fans and media alike, despite Brown arguably being Boston’s best player during their NBA Finals series.
“All this stuff about him being disrespected [by the Celtics] I think is crazy.”
Should Jaylen Brown feel disrespected? @Keefe21 responds to @SIChrisMannix‘s comments on BST last night 👀
“History suggests that Jaylen Brown has not always been treated fairly in this city. If you go back to the year he was drafted, his selection was booed on draft night by a fanbase that wanted the Celtics to draft Kris Dunn. He has been included in every trade rumor the Celtics have been connected to, from Kawhi Leonard to Anthony Davis, and now Kevin Durant. So, I wouldn’t fault Jaylen Brown, one bit, for feeling some type of way,” Mannix said in a July 7 appearance on NBC Sports Boston.
Brown is widely considered to be Boston’s second-best player behind Jayson Tatum, and for multiple years, there has been an ongoing conversation about if the duo is capable of playing together long-term, with many noting Brown should be the player to go if the answer to that question is ‘no’.
Brown is Rumored to be Frustrated With Current Situation
With all the moves the Celtics have been making since the start of July, Brown has been an afterthought for the majority of Celtics fans. From a blockbuster trade to acquire Malcolm Brogdon, to adding Danilo Gallinari on a two-year deal – there has been a lot to talk about in the Celtics world.
However, according to a July 7 recording on WEEI, Jermaine Wiggins believes that Brown is growing frustrated with his situation in Boston, and could potentially be looking for a way to leave the team in the near future.
ICYMI @jwiggs85 was outside over the weekend and happened to bump into #Celtics star Jaylen Brown.
Their conversation was VERY interesting.
📻: 93.7 FM @weei
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Wiggy details ⬇️
“Let’s just say, we were in the same spot…I’m no snitch. All I’m saying is Jaylen Brown wants his own identity, and he ain’t getting that here. If he goes to Brooklyn, he becomes the guy. That team is now built around him. Kyrie’s not going to be there. It looks like Kyrie’s going to head to the Lakers…You have Brown. You have Marcus Smart in Brooklyn. They re-sign (Nic) Claxton. They brought back Patty Mills.
Now, Brooklyn has a team that they can build around — a young star in Jaylen Brown. Jaylen Brown gets out of the shadow of Jayson Tatum, and he can now run his own team. Perfect for everybody. You get KD, who can share the spotlight. We’ve seen him do it before,” Wiggins detailed during his spot on the July 7 recording.
Of course, there is no way to validate Wiggins’ claims, and a lot of what he said felt more like he was projecting an opinion than reporting a fact.
Brown Hint’s at Feeling Disrespected
While the Celtics star hasn’t come out and spoken to the media about feeling disrespected, he did drop a good hint on social media by liking a post discussing his treatment by Celtics fans.
I don’t like seeing this I pray Jaylen Brown stays with us 🙏🏾
Brown, 25, ended the regular season averaging 23.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, on shooting splits of 35.8% from deep, 47.3% from the field, and 75.8% from the free-throw line. He then went on to play a pivotal role in Boston’s progression through the post-season, so while the rumors continue to swirl, it’s worth remembering that he’s currently the second-best player on a championship-contending team.
Furthermore, the disrespectful noise is only coming from a small section of Celtics fans and media, so it’s very likely Brown is still happy with his current situation in Boston.