Chris Mannix: The Celtics Are Closer Than Ever to Trading Jaylen Brown
Chris Mannix: The Celtics Are Closer Than Ever to Trading Jaylen Brown
Brad Stevens publicly backed the guard, but Boston’s ongoing trade discussions suggest a franchise-altering move remains a clear option.Chris Mannix|
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Boston CelticsBOSTON — Late Tuesday night, Brad Stevens addressed a roomful of bleary-eyed reporters, all of whom were seeking clarity on Jaylen Brown’s future with the Celtics.
For many, they left disappointed.
In a 15-ish-minute post-first round media availability—Boston drafted Houston big man Chris Cenac Jr., if you were wondering—Stevens artfully avoided any direct answers on the future of the All-NBA forward. He said Brown was “a big part of us” before adding, “I’m never going to predict the future.” He said he “can’t say enough good things about Jaylen,” but stopped short of committing to Brown being on the roster next season.
Said Stevens, “I think the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he’s always been. And he’s been amazing. He’s been an amazing teammate, great person to be around. And whether that run ends 10 years from now when he retires or before, there’s a lot to celebrate.”
Got that?
Boston’s courtship of Giannis Antetokounmpo the last few days has been well documented. ESPN reported that the Celtics dangled Brown and a pair of first-round picks to Milwaukee for Antetokounmpo. The Bucks passed, instead accepting a package of players and picks from Miami.
But that wasn’t the end of it. Boston continued to discuss Brown trades on Tuesday, two sources familiar with the talks tell Sports Illustrated. Many of the conversations were initiated by rival teams, sources say. Some were brokered by the Celtics. “They are hunting a big man,” says a rival executive. “And they are willing to trade [Brown] to get it.”
Brown trade chatter is nothing new. Frankly, it’s unusual when there isn’t any. Since Brown was drafted in 2016, he has been seen as the centerpiece to potential trades for Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis. In 2022, weeks after helping lead Boston to the NBA Finals, Brown was connected to a swap for Kevin Durant. It seems like ever since the Celtics got Brown there have been some level of discussions about moving him.
Still, this one feels … different. Following a stunning first-round series loss to Philadelphia, Stevens underscored the need to get better. The team needed to put more pressure on the rim, Stevens said. He pointed out Boston’s record (3–11) against the top-three teams in both conferences. The rise of Victor Wembanyama has increased the need for playoff-ready bigs. And the Celtics have precious few of them.
Said Stevens, “We’ve got to do a good job as we build out the roster to have more options.”
Clearly, Boston’s roster is flawed. The 56-win season was smoke and mirrors, achieved through Brown’s career-best brilliance, Joe Mazzulla’s coaching and a schedule loaded with tanking teams. Jayson Tatum’s miraculous late-season return fueled a misguided belief that this team could make a deep playoff run when its lack of frontcourt depth made that impossible.
Still, trading Brown—even for a talent like Antetokounmpo—would be a radical move. Boston has had enormous success in the Tatum-Brown era. In the last five years, the Celtics have been to three conference finals, two NBA Finals and won a championship. Tatum and Brown are the kind of versatile, high-scoring, two-way wings teams are building around. And both are just hitting their primes.
The Celtics, seemingly, appear ready to split them up. Evan Mobley is someone Boston is believed to be high on (isn’t everyone?) though extracting Mobley from Cleveland would be both complicated and costly. Houston has an All-Star big man in Alperen Şengün, while Atlanta could put together an interesting package to bring Brown back to his home state.
And Boston may not have a choice. Brown was upset when his name came up in trade talks in 2022, sources said back then. It would be unsurprising if he was seething now. Stevens made the point that he has stayed in regular contact with Brown’s representatives the last few days—“We certainly wanted to be as proactive and upfront with that as possible,” Stevens said—while reiterating his value to the team.
When asked if another round of trade rumors have soured Brown’s relationship with the franchise, Stevens said, “I would say you would have to ask him.”
“It’s not fun and I’m empathetic towards that,” said Stevens. “It’s not fun to be through that. And at the same time, I think my job is to be as candid and upfront as possible prior to and have tried to do that.”
Contractually, Brown does not have much leverage. He has three years left on his current deal, which will pay him north of $170 million. But Brown could force the Celtics’ hand. He could insist on a contract extension—Brown is eligible for a two-year tack-on at more than $70 million per season—and he could make a lot of noise if he doesn’t get it. Even if Boston wanted to bring him back into the fold, Brown could make that difficult, if not impossible.
We’ll see. With free agency looming, the spotlight has shifted off of Milwaukee and settled directly on Boston. Suddenly the Celtics have the most appealing superstar on the market. Stevens will have to make a franchise-altering decision. Or maybe make none at all. Asked if he still believed the Tatum-Brown duo could deliver a championship, Stevens offered his lone definitive answer.
Said Stevens, “Yes.”
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CHRIS MANNIXChris Mannix is a senior writer at Sports Illustrated covering the NBA and boxing beats. He joined the SI staff in 2003 following his graduation from Boston College. Mannix is the host of SI’s “Open Floor” podcast and serves as a ringside analyst and reporter for DAZN Boxing. He is also a frequent contributor to NBC Sports Boston as an NBA analyst. A nominee for National Sportswriter of the Year in 2022, Mannix has won writing awards from the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Pro Basketball Writers Association, and is a longtime member of both organizations.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
