Jaylen Brown appears ready to move on from the Celtics.
The five-time NBA All-Star is reportedly “acting like he’s done in Boston” after he made headlines multiple times in the last few weeks for being shopped around as part of the Giannis Antetokounmpo and LaMelo Ball trades.
“The word on the street on Jaylen in France, and I know multiple people who were either in his vicinity or whatever, is that he was acting like he’s done in Boston, and that this is it, and I don’t think he’s very happy with this,” Bill Simmons said on his podcast.
Brown’s dissociation from the Celtics comes after his name was part of two major trade deals.
ESPN reported that the Celtics offered Brown, among other things, for the Greek Freak in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, which ultimately saw him go to the Heat.
Shortly after, it was also reported the Timberwolves and Celtics were working on a trade involving Brown prior to Minnesota acquiring Ball from the Hornets.
This is not the first time the 2024 NBA Finals MVP has been shopped around either, as the Celtics offered him to the Nets in 2022 for Kevin Durant.
With rumors continuing to swirl, though, Simmons thinks Brown will remain on the Celtics till at least the start of the 2026-27 season.
One reason he gave was the questionable value of Brown in the trade market.
Reportedly, analytics have Brown rated far less valuable than the eye test would suggest, something Brown himself called ridiculous in an online tirade.
One analytics employee told Bobby Marks of ESPN that they would have him as the seventh best player on their own team.
It’s safe to say the Celtics have the five-time All-Star valued a little higher.
“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens said. “I’m never going to predict the future. Every indication, everything I think about, over the last few years, has been building around those guys.
“You never know. But at the same time, I want to make very clear how valued he’s always been. He’s been amazing. He’s been an amazing teammate and a great person to be around.”
