The Market Is Speaking, and It's Telling The Celtics and Jaylen Brown To Reconcile

The trade picture keeps getting bleaker, it seems, for the Celtics, which means it's time to cut bait and patch things up with Jaylen BrownJohn Karalis|

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Boston Celtics

Business is getting done quickly in the NBA right now. As I type this, the Toronto Raptors and LA Clippers have agreed to a deal to send Kawhi Leonard back to the Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Grady Dick, and five draft picks.

BREAKING: The Los Angeles Clippers are nearing deal sending Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, 2 first-round picks, 1 pick swap and 2 second-rounders, sources tell ESPN. A return to Canada for the Raptors champion and two-time Finals MVP. pic.twitter.com/VovqGw5qS6
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2026

This is, according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith, the 23rd agreed to or fully executed trade of this offseason.

The Kawhi Leonard trade is already the 23rd agreed-to or executed trade of the 2026 offseason.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 30, 2026

None of them has included the Boston Celtics.

According to the Athletic’s Sam Amick, the market for Brown is underwhelming for Boston, with teams believed to be suitors either signaling otherwise or moving on to other deals.

The Portland Trail Blazers, for example, just acquired Ja Morant, and the reporting after the move has suggested that they are now out of the Brown sweepstakes. Denver has been mentioned in rumors, but “their interest has been significantly overstated.”

Somehow, a second-team All-NBA player coming off his finest season as a pro and who is under contract for three more seasons is not valuable to the rest of the league. Whether it’s analytics departments overblowing some of the numbers, the CBA wreaking havoc with the financial system, or a leaguewide negotiating effort to depress his value, a player who should be at the peak of his value is somehow impossible to move for anything significant.

Little has made sense this offseason, which lends some credence to the CBA angle of things. We’ve known from the beginning that this agreement, which was partly negotiated by then Celtics governor and current minority owner, Wyc Grousbeck.

“It was very purposeful and intentional to keep building the parity in the league,” he explained last offseason. “I foreshadowed this … that you go up two years, maybe at most three and then you got to come back down. My prediction was you are going to see that for the next 40 years. As long as these rules are in the league, teams are going to pop up as best they can and then they are going to be strangled on purpose.”

The system isn’t designed to keep a team like Boston afloat, so in many ways, it’s kind of working the way it’s supposed to. Boston is scrambling to keep itself under a destructively punitive repeater tax in order to reset it, and the Brown trade efforts could certainly be part of that plan.

But the Celtics still have paths to stay under the tax line with Brown on the roster. And considering how much of a step back they might take by taking a lesser deal, it’s looking like a reconciliation is the best path forward for Boston and Brown.

Bill Simmons, who has been in the front car for this whole roller coaster, has come around on the idea, which might be a signal that the too much is drying up too quickly for Boston to realize full value in a Brown trade.

This Jaylen situation can be fixed with one 3-hour dinner in the private room at Toscano’s - table for 6, the Jays, Joe Mazz, Stevens, Chisholm and Wyc. The right trade isn’t there, shit happened, just talk it out without agents, family and extended circle flunkies poisoning it.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) June 30, 2026

Brown has remained largely silent about the trade saga itself, but reports of his frustration are getting louder. He’s liking social media posts about his trade, which at least hints at some growing restlessness about the situation. All of this is understandable.

But everyone involved has to take a good, hard look at what’s playing out before them. For whatever reason, the NBA world isn’t lining up to give him the keys to the car. As much as Brown might feel disrespected in Boston, at least they're valuing him higher than the rest of the league. Things can certainly change, but he has to ask himself where he’d rather be: A team that valued him close enough to a two-time MVP that they barely threw in additional assets in trade talks, or a team offering scraps tied to a bad contract?

Some might think the trade process is easy in a situation like this; that Boston tried to get Giannis Antetokounmpo and failed and then scoured the market to find nothing, so they’ll just keep Brown and move on. But from Brown’s perspective, it feels more like watching your wife download Bumble and start swiping. Even if nothing happens, going through those motions hurts.

Maybe things aren’t as bad as they seem and coming back is, in fact, not very difficult at all. Or maybe we’re past the point of no return and Stevens has to cope with the first massive fumble of his executive career.

The rumors don’t paint a great picture, but as they continue to flow, reconciliation might make the most sense for both sides. The Celtics still do value Brown, and clearly value him more than most teams. If there's any hope of getting past this, now’s the time to start that process.

Published 1 minute ago

JOHN KARALIS

John Karalis is a 20-year veteran of Celtics coverage and was nominated for NSMA's Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year in 2019. He has hosted the Locked On Celtics podcast since 2016 and has written two books about the Celtics. John was born and raised in Pawtucket, RI. He graduated from Shea High School in Pawtucket, where he played football, soccer, baseball, and basketball and was captain of the baseball and basketball teams. John graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism and was a member of their Gold Key Honor Society. He was a four-year starter and two-year captain of the Men’s Basketball team, and remains one of the school's top all-time scorers, and Emerson's all-time leading rebounder. He is also the first Emerson College player to play professional basketball (Greece). John started his career in television, producing and creating shows since 1997. He spent nine years at WBZ, launching two different news and lifestyle shows before ascending to Executive Producer and Managing Editor. He then went to New York, where he was a producer and reporter until 2018. John is one of Boston’s original Celtics bloggers, creating RedsArmy.com in 2006. In 2018, John joined the Celtics beat full-time for MassLive.com and then went to Boston Sports Journal in 2021, where he covered the Celtics for five years. He has hosted the Locked On Celtics podcast since 2016, and it currently ranks as the #1 Boston Celtics podcast on iTunes and Spotify rankings. He is also one of the co-hosts of the Locked on NBA podcast.

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LeBron James’ incredibly sneaky tactic to protect Bronny’s future before blockbuster Lakers decision

What LeBron James leaving Lakers means for Bronny James

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LeBron James’ incredibly sneaky tactic to protect Bronny’s future before blockbuster Lakers decision

By Ryan Anderson Published June 30, 2026, 6:35 p.m. ET

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LeBron James made it clear he wanted to play in the NBA with his son. The Lakers made that happen by drafting Bronny James. Now that LeBron is leaving Los Angeles, Bronny’s future with the Lakers is suddenly much less clear.

With LeBron informing the Lakers that he will play elsewhere during the 2026-27 season, attention quickly shifted to what the decision means for his son. Bronny is entering his third NBA season and remains under contract with Los Angeles after the remainder of his salary for next season became fully guaranteed.

LeBron James leaving the Lakers raises new questions about Bronny James’ future, contract and possible Warriors connection. Getty Images

That detail matters.

Bronny is set to make more than $2.2 million next season on the four-year deal he signed after the Lakers selected him with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. While his future has always been viewed through the lens of playing alongside his father, the Lakers are not required to move him just because LeBron is leaving.

Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives around Aaron Wiggins #21 of the Oklahoma City Thunder Getty Images

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In fact, keeping him may be the simpler option.

Bronny has made gradual progress since entering the league. After spending much of his rookie season developing with the South Bay Lakers, he appeared in 42 games during the 2025-26 season and earned limited playoff minutes against the Rockets and Thunder. His numbers remain modest, but his 3-point shooting improved, and he has shown signs of becoming a useful defensive guard off the bench.

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For a Lakers team now moving forward around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, cheap backcourt depth still offers plenty of value. Bronny is not expensive, is still only 21 and has a team option for the 2027-28 season.

The more complicated scenario would involve Bronny joining LeBron’s next team.

Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors Getty Images

Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers plays defense during the game against the Houston Rockets NBAE via Getty Images

Golden State has been heavily linked to LeBron, especially after Draymond Green declined his player option to help create flexibility. If the Warriors also make a push for Anthony Davis, they would likely need inexpensive contracts around a top-heavy roster built around Stephen Curry, LeBron, Davis and Green. In that case, Bronny’s low salary could make theoretical sense.

But the Lakers would have to cooperate in a trade. And they are no longer in the business of keeping James content.

For now, the most likely outcome is that Bronny stays in Los Angeles and continues trying to carve out his own NBA role.

LeBron’s Lakers chapter is over. Bronny’s may not be.

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LeBron James leaving the Lakers raises new questions about Bronny James’ future, contract and possible Warriors connection. Getty Images

Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives around Aaron Wiggins #21 of the Oklahoma City Thunder Getty Images

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Three players the Rangers could target in NHL free agency

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Three players the Rangers could target in NHL free agency

By Michael Blinn Published June 30, 2026, 6:31 p.m. ET

Teddy Blueger #53 of the Vancouver Canucks in action against the Edmonton Oilers. — Teddy Blueger of the Vancouver Canucks in action against the Edmonton Oilers. Getty Images

Three players the Rangers could target when NHL free agency opens on Wednesday, July 1 at noon ET:

Teddy Blueger, Center

In need of a fourth-line center following Sam Carrick’s departure via trade last season, the Rangers could turn to a reliable two-way skater in Blueger. He would boost the penalty kill and the team’s faceoff percentage.

Mats Zuccarello, Right Wing

There has yet to be a better winger for Mika Zibanejad than Zuccarello, who played alongside the Swede for multiple years before the team entered a rebuild and he was traded to Dallas in February 2019. At 38, Zuccarello has proven he can still produce, and a one-year deal is feasible for the Rangers.

Minnesota Wild forward Mats Zuccarello (36) controls the puck against the Avalanche. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Alexander Nikishin #21 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates with the puck during a game, Image 2 shows Matt Grzelcyk #48 of the Chicago Blackhawks skates with the puck during the third period against the Utah Mammoth, Image 3 shows Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (5) carries the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes in game five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final

How Rangers can fill their biggest need as offseason market opens up

New York Rangers player Liam Greentree (85) skating on ice with a hockey stick during development camp.

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An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Braden Schneider of the New York Rangers takes a shot as Sonny Milano of the Washington Capitals defends during the third period, Image 2 shows New York Rangers defenseman Scott Morrow (60) skates up ice

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Scott Laughton, Center/Wing

With uncertainties surrounding their center depth, the Rangers could target a utility forward who can play both wing and center. Laughton certainly fits that bill and has proven capable of contributing offensively.

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