James Harden trade rumors are nothing new at this point. A report from The Athletic on Thursday claiming that the Houston Rockets star added the Boston Celtics to the list of his preferred destinations only added fuel to the fire.
All-Star forward Jayson Tatum is almost certainly untouchable in any trade scenario. Meaning for Boston to land Harden should they pursue a deal, they’d likely package a trade around the likes of defensive stalwart Marcus Smart, a handful of draft picks and most notably, budding star Jaylen Brown.
With chatter beginning to gain steam around a potential Harden-Celtics marriage, some Cs players have joined fans in questioning whether acquiring the eight-time All-Star would be in the best interest of the team. Albeit, some more vocal than others.
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Semi Ojeleye Questions Harden Deal; Jaylen Brown Takes Shots?
“Honestly, I don’t know if he would fit,” forward Semi Ojeleye stated during a recent Twitch stream when asked about his thoughts on rumors of Harden coming to Boston, per Chris Grenham of Forbes.
It’s difficult to argue with Ojeleye’s take. While on one hand, the Celtics would be receiving one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, it would undoubtedly come at a steep price. Boston has spent years building a youthful, chemistry-focused, championship-contending roster and would quickly see numerous building blocks pried away in order to acquire the 31-year-old Harden.
Ojeleye isn’t the only Celtics player to raise eyebrows with their take on the situation. While the forward may have taken a more head-on approach, the aforementioned Jaylen Brown addressed the rumors in a more roundabout away.
Brown posted a photo to his Instagram story on Thursday night which shows the fifth-year pro letting out a roaring celebratory scream while a semi-blurred, semi-dazed Harden looks on in the background.
The image was snatched by a Twitter user and shared to Dan Greenberg of Barstool’s original post on Ojeleye’s take, which you can see below:
Brown Continues to Take His Game to New Heights
Could Harden’s inclusion in the photo be nothing more than a coincidence? Quite certainly, yet also quite unlikely. The timing is frankly too perfect. Simply put, Brown has a right to feel a certain type of way. The third-overall pick in the 2016 lottery has developed into one of the fiercest two-way forces in the entire league. On the other hand, it says a lot about the 24-year-old’s growth that he’d likely serve as the centerpiece in a deal that would yield the services of a former league MVP and three-time scoring champ.
Speaking of Brown’s growth, he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. Thus far this season, albeit just two games, the former Cal Berkeley star is averaging new career bests in points (30.0), field goal percentage (49.0), rebounds (6.5) and assists (3.5) per game.
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Jaylen Brown Appears to Subliminally Shade James Harden Trade Rumors [LOOK]