What a Jaylen Brown Trade Would Cost the Jazz–– And Why They'd Regret It
What a Jaylen Brown Trade Would Cost the Jazz–– And Why They'd Regret It
Could the Utah Jazz get involved in the Jaylen Brown trade sweepstakes?Jared Koch|
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Utah JazzThe Jaylen Brown trade sweepstakes are heating up, as the Boston Celtics appear to be listening to offers for their five-time All-Star after failing in their efforts to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier this offseason.
Brown could be an intriguing fit for several teams, considering he's fresh off a career-best season in Boston in the wake of Jayson Tatum's Achilles recovery, and would be an instantly impactful player for wherever he ends up if he is dealt away from Boston after nine seasons.
"In some cases, the Celtics have asked for at least four first-round picks for Jaylen Brown." @ShamsCharania on a potential Jaylen Brown trade 👀 pic.twitter.com/seGNQWJBBX
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 26, 2026
One team that's been subtly connected to Brown, simply because of the Boston connections within the front office and coaching staff, has been the Utah Jazz––who have former Celtics execs Danny and Austin Ainge running their basketball operations, and might be a dark horse in the race to push for a deal surrounding the All-NBA talent.
But what would a trade look like for the Jazz if they were in the market to try and land Brown? And even if they were, would pulling the trigger on a deal make sense from their perspective?
Let's break it all down:
What a Jazz Trade for Jaylen Brown Would Look Like
The Athletic's Sam Vecenie recently laid out a half-dozen trade ideas for Brown that could make sense with the recent reports that the 2024 Finals MVP is being shopped by the Celtics.
One of the suitors mentioned in those trade frameworks was none other than the Jazz, who Vecenie sees as an ideal partner for the Celtics to deal with for a package centering around Lauri Markkanen:
This seems like a fair ask from the Celtics if they were to inquire with the Jazz about a deal. They get a returning centerpiece that matches Brown's salary in Markkanen, a young bench scorer in Sensabaugh, and a couple of draft picks that sweeten the pot.
On the other side of the equation, the Jazz could land a top-15 player in the league in return, a true number one option to lean on for their offense who's still got several years left in his prime, and give their defensive side of the ball a lift with the impact Brown provides on that end as well.
The logic makes some sense for both sides. So maybe the deal shouldn't be totally counted out as a possibility. However, that doesn't mean the Jazz should rush to make a deal like this happen.
In fact, Utah might be better off steering clear of pushing their chips in for a move like this, rather than trying to make a splashy acquisition for the Celtics star.
Why the Jazz Should Hold Off on a Jaylen Brown Deal
While a superstar acquisition like Brown is sure to draw some initial intrigue, especially for a team like the Jazz who have the assets to make it happen, Utah is in no rush to make a swap like this happen.
In reality, the Jazz are in year one of facilitating a competitive, playoff-level roster this year. They've spent time building up their chemistry around the roster, have a great combination of veteran and young talent, and have future flexibility in terms of draft capital to bolster things even further down the road.
2026-27 Utah Jazz:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 24, 2026
— Darryn Peterson
— Jaren Jackson Jr
— Lauri Markkanen
— Walker Kessler
— Ace Bailey
— Keyonte George
— Isaiah Collier
— Kyle Filipowski
Playoff team? pic.twitter.com/Y5aO11V11C
Nothing about the Jazz's situation screams, "we have to go get Jaylen Brown." They're actually in a polar opposite position. While they're in a solid spot to win next season, their timeline allows them to remain patient, see how this current core shakes out next year, and then potentially re-evaluate for further moves next offseason.
Lauri Markkanen is also a huge part of the equation for the Jazz as well. Brown might be the better player in a vacuum, but Markkanen has remained outwardly committed Utah since they first started their rebuilding process.
Markkanen's is locked in with Utah for his future until 2029 thanks to the $238 million deal he signed in 2024, is still at the prime of his career, coming off a strong 2025-26 campaign, and has the playstyle and versatility to be an ideal fit in several different variations of this Jazz lineup and roster both now and moving forward.
Unless the deal was one that the Jazz simply couldn't refuse, there's no real incentive for the Jazz to pivot off of Markkanen now. A deal for Brown may provoke some thought in a Utah front office with history in Boston, though still doesn't seem like enough for them to pull the trigger.
All of that being said, Jazz fans probably don't have to worry about a Brown deal being on the way anytime soon this offseason. And in any case that it does come to form, it might not take long for Utah to regret pushing their chips in so soon.
Published 1 minute ago
JARED KOCHJared Koch is the deputy editor of Utah Jazz On SI. He's covered the NBA and NFL for the past two years, contributing to Denver Broncos On SI, Indianapolis Colts On SI, and Sacramento Kings On SI. He has covered multiple NBA and NFL events on site, and his works have also appeared on Bleacher Report, MSN, and Yahoo.
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GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr. explains his 'mysterious' 4-month absence from Congress
OAN Staff Lillian Mann
6:30 PM – Tuesday, June 30, 2026
In an emotional speech on the House floor, New Jersey GOP Representative Tom Kean Jr. revealed the reason behind his four-month long medical leave from Congress, telling his fellow lawmakers that he was in the hospital for depression.
Kean (R-N.J.) disclosed on Tuesday that he was recently diagnosed with depression following a hospitalization for undisclosed health concerns. He added that recovering from the mental illness has taken longer than expected.
“I am a private person by nature … talking about myself has never come naturally. But I believe that I owe an explanation to the people of New Jersey’s 7th District, to my colleagues in this chamber and to the American people for my absence,” he began from the podium Tuesday morning.
“I was given the diagnosis of depression. It is physical, it is emotional and, until you’ve experienced it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.”
The 57-year-old has missed more than 140 votes during his recovery, amounting to a 100% absence rate, according to the website GovTrack.
“I began to understand not only my diagnosis, but how long depression had been affecting my life,” he continued. “When people hear the word depression, many people think it simply means feeling sad. But depression is so much more than that.”
“When I first informed the public that I was dealing with a medical issue, I was still trying to understand what was happening myself,” he said of the secrecy of his absence.
Despite feeling hesitant when his doctors recommended he stayed at the hospital, he shared that he was ultimately grateful for the decision.
“When I said I hope to return in a matter of weeks, I believed it. Those were the best estimates that the doctor could provide. But as the over 48 million of my fellow Americans being treated for this illness have come to discover, there is no timeline for healing. There is no timeline for recovery. Only the work of getting better one day at a time,” he said.
“Today I am grateful that I listened to my doctors … I am grateful that I accepted help. Because today I stand before you healthier, stronger and excited to return to the work that I love.”
Although Kean’s condition was not made public until Tuesday, the details were apparently known by Capitol Hill colleagues –including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) — who said earlier this month, “I do know what his health issue is, but he’s asked me not to disclose that, and I’m going to honor that.”
Johnson also emphasized at the time that Kean’s absence is “not a scandalous thing at all,” telling reporters that “people deal with health issues. Maybe that’s a news flash for you, but even members of Congress get sick as well.”
During his absence, Kean secured the Republican nomination for a third term representing New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District after running unopposed in the primary. He will face Rebecca Bennett (D-N.J.) in November.
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