The Boston Celtics missed out on Giannis Antetokounmpo, but reportedly remain engaged with teams on a potential Jaylen Brown trade.
Two names that have been earmarked as potential Celtics trade targets are Detroit Pistons All-Star Jalen Duren and New Orleans Pelicans wing Trey Murphy. WEEI’s Nick Cattles has floated a scenario in which the Celtics land both players while flipping Brown’s $57M salary for the 2026-27 season.
In the scenario, Boston would also receive two first-round swaps, while the Pelicans would receive three rotational pieces and two future first-round picks from Detroit.
Jaylen Brown Celtics Trade Pitch
Celtics would receive: Jalen Duren, Trey Murphy, future 1st-round swaps (via DET)
Pistons would receive: Jaylen Brown
Pelicans would receive: Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh, Marcus Sasser, two future 1st-round picks (via DET)
Celtics receive: • Jalen Duren • Trey Murphy III • 1-2 future 1st-round pick swaps (From DET)
Pistons receive: • Jaylen Brown
Pelicans receive: • Sam Hauser • Jordan Walsh • Marcus Sasser • 2 future 1st-round picks
The proposed trade could be a win-win-win situation for all three teams involved. The Celtics would lose their All-NBA wing but get back a 22-year-old All-Star in Duren and one of the best sharpshooting wings in the NBA in Murphy. They would also shave money off their luxury tax bill while having an MLE/TPE to make roster upgrades.
The Pistons, meanwhile, would receive their new franchise co-star to pair with Cade Cunningham after a playoff run where it was clear they needed additional star power.
As for the Pelicans, who have set an asking price of multiple first-round picks for Murphy, they will get their desired return while adding rotational pieces on controllable contracts. New Orleans reportedly has set a similar asking price for Herbert Jones.
Celtics to Explore Sign-and-Trade?
According to insider Jake Fischer, the Celtics and Pistons could explore a sign-and-trade scenario involving Jalen Duren and Jaylen Brown.
“One more fascinating scenario that we’ve been advised not to rule out completely: A possible sign-and-trade run at Boston’s perennial All-Star Brown,” Fischer wrote on the “Stein Line” newsletter on Friday.
“This would certainly require Detroit to be willing to part with restricted free agent big man Jalen Duren in a sign-and-trade exchange for Brown, which would obviously clash with the Pistons’ longstanding view that Duren and Ausar Thompson are franchise pillars alongside Cunningham.”
Duren is eligible to sign a five-year max deal worth $287M, but he and the Pistons are reportedly nowhere near agreeing on a suitable figure for both sides. While interested suitors can make an offer sheet for Duren starting on Wednesday, there’s a good chance the All-Star gets sent to another team beforehand in a sign-and-trade deal.
“According to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiation is ongoing, the gap between the sides is large enough that Duren is considering ways to land elsewhere, with the sign-and-trade route deemed preferable to signing an offer sheet with another team that the Pistons could, and likely would, match,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick wrote on Friday.
The Celtics are widely expected to go through with a Jaylen Brown trade this offseason, with multiple reports hinting at Brown’s unhappiness with the franchise for being offered to the Milwaukee Bucks for Antetokounmpo. Brown has three full seasons left on his five-year, $285M supermax contract.
Celtics Trade Proposal Flips Jaylen Brown for All-Star Center, 3-and-D Wing