Manning: The Celtics Should Never Trade Jaylen Brown

When a report about the 76ers needing Jaylen Brown in any potential Ben Simmons deal surfaced and spun into ‘would you trade Brown for Simmons?’ debates on TV, Twitter and texts, Brad Stevens felt the need to address his star.

“Your name’s all over the place, as you know,'” Stevens said to him then. “‘Obviously, from our standpoint, you’re a Celtic and a guy that we obviously we think exceptionally (highly) of … nothin’ doin.'”

“I just wanted to make sure he had that peace of mind,” Stevens told 98.5 The Sports Hub.

MassLive then reported that the Celtics had no interest in moving Brown, before the star would inevitably miss 12 of his next 17 games with a hamstring strain. Talk of the tandem’s viability, the need to move Brown to complete a major trade and frustration over the team’s 13-14 start flourished through the team’s west coast trip. Brown needed to sit five games after admittedly returning too soon for the five prior and never looking right. Meanwhile, fans and media alike had only watched Brown and Tatum play eight games healthy together under Ime Udoka.

Brown has averaged 25.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game since returning, while shooting 43.8% from the field. Brown and Tatum passed between each other as often as we’ve ever seen. The team’s defense clicked against major competition, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, Steph Curry and the Warriors, Joel Embiid and the 76ers. While regularly deferring to Brown, Jayson Tatum won east player of the week. Then, Brown poured out 34 points on 12-for-22 shooting in the Celtics’ 111-101 win over Cleveland Wednesday.

Not that I was excitedly suggesting it before, but I feel more certain than ever: the Celtics should never trade Jaylen Brown. 

Talking to the Cavaliers podcaster Justin Rowan this week on Dome Theory hammered that home to me, in part, along with imagining various scenarios, ideas and events where the Celtics would potentially deal Brown this past month. On our podcast Tuesday, Rowan practically begged for Brown in our hypothetical trade talks. He offered Collin Sexton, Isaac Okoro and more. To a budding east power in Cleveland, Brown would feasibly complete the core they’ve formed between Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. 

All they are missing is a player like Brown.

 

Many teams sit in that position. The wing scorers, with defensive size and playmaking chops; who can shoot, create and defend are the most valuable players in the NBA. The Celtics have two, and they are all that remain making the team special, likely one move or a break from contention. In 2020, alongside Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker in the Bubble, the Jays looked like as much of a threat to win the championship as any other team.

The time had seemingly come to at least think about trading Brown came two season later, after a 2-5 Celtics start and the now-infamous meltdown against Chicago. Hayward had left. Walker got traded for Al Horford in a salary dump. Smart and the Jays seemed at odds. Evidence that the two struggled to connect increased, their isolation tendencies hampering the offense. Any potential transformative deal would likely require Brown.

Without prospects valued around the league or premium picks, the Celtics seemed at a crossroad. Was there any way to improve this roster substantially without moving Brown? We all needed to start to ask, but a look around the NBA revealed few desirable scenarios.

“Everybody sees it and players definitely see it, they’re always on the apps, their family is talking to them,” Udoka said on 98.5 in November. “That was good for Brad to reassure (Brown). That stuff can come from the other side as well, nothing to do with us. Other people trying to ramp up rumors and get value for certain guys. Obviously, we know what Jaylen means to the organization, he’s obviously one of the pillars as I’ve mentioned several times. We let him know he’s in good shape here and has nothing to worry about.”

Sure, Brown could be flipped for Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal eventually, but that would make the Celtics older, maintain the rest of the roster issues and limit flexibility aside from the two expensive stars. It’s not even certain the Trail Blazers, Wizards, or let’s say the Timberwolves, with Karl-Anthony Towns, would look at Brown alone as fair value for their franchise players. Would they want picks and other players with Brown to jumpstart their rebuilds? I would.

Most teams love and value their own players, not to mention their stars. What about a trade where the Celtics receive a variety of role, young and starter-level players for Brown. The kind of deal John Zannis pitched on the Garden Report — something like Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey and Simmons from Philadelphia. That made me listen, but, fundamentally, the stars are all that matters in these trades. The reasons to not like Simmons, or at least be uncertain about his future prospects, remain. Curry and Maxey are excellent players. None of the three are Brown. So what are you doing there? You’re selling Brown for Simmons.

When the Celtics sell low on Brown’s potential, this is over.

Tatum, 23, can get better. He leads the NBA in total points scored, passing Kevin Durant on Wednesday with 18 points on 6-for-19 shooting. As he progresses as a passer, locks in on defense and hones the scrappier and intangible parts of his game, there’s no reason he can’t become the best player in the NBA by the time he turns 30.

Brown, 25, complements Tatum stylistically as a catch-and-shoot marksman, elite transition runner and a fellow long, active defensive wing. Brown impressed as a playmaker immediately in his return, despite having little experience ramping up his facilitating role or time to gain rhythm with Tatum prior. Udoka wants to stagger their minutes too, having one on the floor generating offense at all times. That worked Wednesday.

The pair aren’t early in their careers anymore. As cornerstones of the franchise though, they’re at the ground floor. Brown capsized immensely running the Celtics offense late in Monday’s collapse against the 76ers.

“I know people are tired of hearing it,” Brown said after. “People probably have lost belief or faith, but mine is unwavering. I think that we can still be a good team. I think that we’ve showed it in spurts. I’ve been out for an extended point of time, I’m trying to get back. We got guys out, COVID, it’s not an excuse or anything. Other teams do as well, but the question is do I still believe? 100%.”

He bounced back against the Cavs, answering Udoka’s pregame emphasis by pushing the pace, feeding Robert Williams III in the pick-and-roll and fitting into an intriguing three-wing lineup with Romeo Langford defensively. Monday was a valuable opportunity for Brown, as the urgency to develop increases for Ime Udoka, Stevens and this Celtics franchise.

Following what’s already become something of a lost season contention-wise for .500 Boston, Brown will move within two seasons of free agency. Tatum can opt out of his deal in 2025, three years away. The Celtics have time, but it is ticking.

Something has to give. Can the team package all of its future picks into a player that’ll both aid Brown and Tatum’s growth while complementing them? Will Stevens, instead, begin drafting better than Danny Ainge did in his final seasons? Adding more young, inexperienced players to a roster already struggling to find minutes and roles for Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard doesn’t seem wise, especially if even Boston’s 2022 first-round pick may not hit his stride until 2023-24 at the earliest, one year from Brown’s free agency. Stevens and Udoka both agreed on the roster needing experience last offseason.

As for Smart, a staple of Boston’s culture and defense since 2014-15, it may have come to a point where his responsibilities became outsized on a team with too much lost talent in front of him. He’s had an excellent year passing and quarterbacking the defense, and he’s now signed long-term on a medium contract that may have some appeal to a team like Indiana reportedly eyeing a soft rebuild over a complete blowup. Smart becomes trade-eligible in January.

Seeing Langford, Nesmith and Pritchard do some things this week was encouraging. They’ve likely developed little value through injuries, inconsistency and early-career tumult. Grant Williams breaking out this season as a shooter is probably more of a value to the Celtics than something that’ll ramp up his trade value. Horford continues to provide locker room leadership and elite defense, along with hefty matching salary and cap relief next season (only ~$14-million tentatively guaranteed) to a team that would want it.

Williams III — who was extended and has a poison pill provision in his contract the rest of this season — posted the best scoring game of his career Wednesday. He’s continued to miss games for various reasons, but has played more minutes, taken on a higher role and become immensely valuable to the Celtics on both ends. His value has to be higher than one year ago. Josh Richardson, signed through next season, has shot well and defends the guard and wing positions, which anyone would want.

Are the Celtics the Hornets, Warriors or Thunder in terms of trade flexibility and assets? No. They’re also in a better place than last season, having reshaped the salary structure of their team and retaining all their future first-round picks. They have a $17-million trade exception as a possible stepping stone toward a deal until August, and already have the ability to pull off nearly any trade in the league money-wise. Dennis Schröder, too, could be turned into a more long-term player or asset by the deadline.

That still may not be enough. The Knicks could beat Boston to Lillard. The Warriors could grab Beal or one of the Pacers bigs. The Kings could get in on anyone. Those stars may not even want to leave their teams. Rivals may ask for Brown and walk away if he’s not included. The Celtics should sprint.

The organization hasn’t eased Brown and Tatum’s ascent into two COVID-riddled seasons after not immediately replacing Hayward and Evan Fournier. The expectation bar remains high in spite of the excuses, and rightfully so. This team should be better. Brown and Tatum need to grow more consistent and complementary, something that finally flashed more often this week. Their games shouldn’t waver or become less energetic when things go poorly.

They asked to be coached hard, and Udoka has obliged with fresh and honest criticism of both. They’ve played better in response to it, Tatum logging the third-most minutes in the NBA, and both bouncing back from difficult starts. Brown looks better another year into his career. Tatum, last week, averaged over 30 PPG while passing heavily. Effort isn’t the issue.

The Celtics should turn up the urgency. Udoka has in his coaching approach, but he also needs to pay attention to development. Stevens could stand to get Brown and Tatum help this year and solidify the roster through consolidation by the end of next offseason. The Nets, Bulls, Heat and Bucks already did that, while the Cavs, 76ers, Knicks, Hornets and Hawks are likely one move away from contention too. Even at their best, the Celtics, as constituted, may be stuck in the play-in tournament for years to come in the NBA’s new tougher conference.

If it happens multiple more times, does greener grass, or less green uniforms, catch Brown and/or Tatum’s eyes?

Boston shouldn’t speed up the path to one of their departures. If one of them asks for a trade in a few years, this whole experiment that began, and possibly ended, when Hayward rose to catch Kyrie Irving’s pass in Cleveland would be over. The Celtics would be just like any other team, with one star and other stuff around it. The Grizzlies, Mavericks, Timberwolves, Lakers, Clippers and more already sit in those positions.

Brown and Tatum? It’s more of a blessing than the curse some make it out to be, and the Celtics should try through the end of their time together to make it work.