There has been lots of talk over the last several weeks that the Boston Celtics have been actively shopping All-Star forward Jaylen Brown.
At first, the hope was that they would be able to send him out for future Hall of Famer Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Antetokounmpo is instead heading to the Miami Heat.
NBA General Manager Doubts Jaylen Brown Has Much Trade Value
Two years removed from winning the NBA championship, the Celtics are apparently open to massively remodeling their roster after letting go of Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porziņģis — three key contributors to their championship squad — a year ago.
Right now, the sticking point on a potential Brown trade could be what Boston is demanding in return, compared to how the rest of the league sees him.
According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, if the Celtics are willing to take back two first-round draft picks for Brown, perhaps something will materialize.
“They’ve asked some teams for up to four, five first-round picks,” Charania said, “That has not gone anywhere.”
🚨Shams on Jaylen Brown’s Trade Market:
“If the price lowers at some point this offseason to two first-round picks, or maybe two firsts and then some, then you might see something. My indication right now is they would not want to go that route.” pic.twitter.com/ZU2QwaRInB
— Gatsby (@ZachGatsby) June 30, 2026
“… If the price lowers at some point this offseason to two first-round picks, or maybe two firsts and then some, then you might see something. My indication right now is they would not want to go that route [of lowering the asking price].”
But Charania also gave a troubling account of Brown’s value on the open market, citing what one executive said.
“I can’t find a team right now that is willing at this moment to give up that amount of draft capital. So then it just becomes, are Brad Stevens and that front office fine trading away Jaylen Brown for potentially less than that? I had one GM say 40 cents on the dollar. That’s because that’s what it’s come down to in Boston.”
“They just have not been able to find teams as of yet to get to that threshold, but there’s still a lot of time left in this offseason.”
There Is No Questioning Brown’s Value on the Court
Even if other NBA teams don’t want to give up that much for Brown, especially in the way of draft capital, he remains a player who can drastically change a team’s fortunes all by himself.
This season, he turned in a career-best effort while fellow Celtics star Jayson Tatum was out until March with a torn Achilles.
Brown averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists a game, and he kept the team near the top of the Eastern Conference standings while Tatum rehabbed.
In fact, Brown was talked about as a legitimate MVP candidate throughout the season. He ultimately finished sixth in the MVP voting, and he earned his fifth All-Star game selection and his second All-NBA second team nod.
Brown and Tatum have been the Celtics’ main pillars for nearly a decade now.
If the franchise truly wants to move on from Brown and the roughly $183 million he’s owed over the next three seasons, it will have to take its time finding an acceptable offer that would allow it to remain in championship contention.
