The Boston Celtics‘ first attempt at a Jaylen Brown trade did not go well. The team came close on a deal to send Brown to Milwaukee for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Boston did not want to give up the additional assets the Bucks wanted. The Celtics’ second attempt to trade him was a flop, too–there just were not enough suitors for Brown and in recent days, it appears that the trail has gone cold.
But the Celtics might not give up hope here. While it is entirely possible that there will be a Brown-Boston reconciliation, it is a long summer, and there are some ebbs and flows to come. One is happening already–LeBron James has already informed the Lakers he will not be back with the team, and is putting him up for free agency elsewhere, even on a bargain contract.
Believe it or not, that could be relevant to the Celtics. That’s because the Cavaliers are one of the teams expected to be the most serious of James suitors, and in order to make themselves more desirable as a landing spot for James, the Cavs could well seek to trade for Brown–even if it means dealing away Evan Mobley.
LeBron James Could Inspire Trade for Celtics’ Jaylen Brown
That would be a game-changer for the Celtics. The Cavaliers have had little desire to trade the 25-year-old Mobley, who averaged 18.2 points and 9.0 rebounds last season. They might have been willing to entertain moving Mobley for Antetokounmpo, but Antetokounmpo did not want to go to Cleveland, so the theory was never tested.
The Cavs might not be inclined to trade Mobley–who’s still developing–for Brown. But Brown has a Finals MVP to his credit, and that is something that James will notice. If adding Brown means James will go to Cleveland, suddenly, dealing Mobley is more palatable.
As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who proposed this maneuver on “SportsCenter” on Tuesday night, said, “If you can trade Evan Mobley for Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, now it is a different discussion.”
Cavaliers View on Jaylen Brown-Evan Mobley Trade Could Change
Here’s how Windy put it, in a trade idea that will hearten Celtics fans already wary on the Brown machinations.
“The Cleveland Cavaliers learned today that LeBron James would be willing to play for less than his market-value salary. That changed everything. So how does Cleveland get LeBron James’ attention? Do they show him their brand-new practice facility they’re building? … That’s not going to impress him. What’s going to impress him is what they can do with this roster. What can the Cleveland Cavs do?
“Jaylen Brown is out there. Can the Cavs make the move for Jaylen Brown , then say, how do you feel about us now? That’s the type of move you’ve got to do to get LeBron James’ attention.”
Evan Mobley a Big Haul for Celtics
That’s when Mobley’s name was raised, first by Windhorst’s ESPN colleague Bobby Marks, a former Nets executive. Mobley is a massively talented player whose improvement has stalled in recent years and might do well with a change of scenery.
“They’ve got the asset—Evan Mobley,” Marks said. “Evan Mobley and add Sem Merrill, to make the money work so you’re not hard-capped at the first apron. Add Jaylen Brown to the equation. … We’ve talked about Jaylen Brown at length. Evan Mobley would be the biggest chip that Boston Celtics team could potentially get. That’s better than draft assets.
“When you’re looking at, Brad Stevens said it at the end of the year, we need a paint protector, we need a paint scorer. Pair him up with Jayson Tatum and that gets you started.”
Celtics Given New Hope on Jaylen Brown Trade for ‘Biggest Chip’