The Boston Celtics have one of the best teams in the league, but it comes at an expensive price. So much so that The Ringer’s Howard Beck revealed that executives speculate that the Celtics may trade Jaylen Brown.
“Rivals have been wondering about (Brown’s) fate from the moment he signed a five-year, $304 million extension in July,” Beck wrote in a February 14 story. “’I think that’s realistic,’ the first Western Conference exec said of a Brown trade. ‘Can you get 80 percent of Jaylen by keeping Derrick White and replacing Jaylen with a $20 million player instead of a $40 million player?’”
Beck stressed that the Celtics have not considered trading Brown, but if they did, they would get a return comparable to the one the Suns exchanged for Kevin Durant.
‘Jaylen would set the record for the biggest return,’ an exec told Beck. “’It should be a Durant-type deal’—meaning multiple first-round picks and swaps, plus high-level rotation players; Brown might not have Durant’s résumé, but he’s also eight years younger.”
Brown is about to play on his third All-Star team and has an All-NBA team. Brown may never develop the same reputation Durant has, but he still has proven his worth as an NBA player.
Jrue Holiday Jokes About Jaylen Brown’s Slam Dunk Bid
After the Celtics beat the Nets on February 13, Jrue Holiday joked about Jaylen Brown’s upcoming performance in the Slam Dunk contest.
“I told him if he stinks, I’m gonna repost it for how embarrassed I’m gonna be,” Holiday said after the win over the Nets.
“I’m excited for him. Obviously, I know that, especially for the big-time guys, the All-Star Game is a time to rest and kind of regain your mental strength. I think to go out there and do that dunk contest is big. Again, a big name like JB, who’s super athletic and you see the dunks he does in game, I’m excited to see him.”
Jaylen Brown will go up against the likes of Jamie Jaquez, Mac McClung, and Jacob Toppin. Brown is the Celtics’ first participant in the contest since Gerald Green in 2007.
Sources: The NBA’s likely Slam Dunk Contest participants at All-Star Weekend:
Mac McClung, Jaylen Brown, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jacob Toppin.
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Jaylen Brown’s Thoughts on Duncan Robinson Fight
Jaylen Brown got into it with Duncan Robinson when the Celtics played the Heat on February 11.
During his postgame press conference, Brown talked about the scuffle, explaining his side of things.
“I’m OK with it,” Brown said postgame. “It was no issue for me. I think (Robinson) knew exactly what he was trying to do, trying to get tangled up because he didn’t want to play defense. They called the foul, but he was still trying to hang on. I was trying to get my arm free.
“Miami’s known for being physical. Miami’s known for getting away with that stuff, kind of mucking up the game. At the end of the day, you gotta protect and own your space. I felt like Duncan Robinson knew what he was doing there. I bet you he won’t do it again.”
Jaylen Brown weighs in on his scuffle with Duncan Robinson and the flagrant foul
The Celtics went on to beat the Heat, sweeping their season series. That could be noteworthy since the Heat have beaten the Celtics in the postseason twice in the last four years.
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NBA Execs: Potential Jaylen Brown Trade Should Get Celtics a ‘Durant-Type’ Return