The Celtics made a pair of moves in the free agency market Wednesday, but the main storyline of their offseason remains Jaylen Brown. The C’s star is firmly in trade rumors after Boston’s failed pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Brown remains a potential star who could be on the move this summer.
But some teams like the Trail Blazers and Raptors are likely off the board with recent trades. Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Celtics are still listening to offers from various teams when it comes to a potential Brown trade.
“The Celtics have started strongly shopping Jaylen Brown, soliciting offers from a market of about 8-10 teams in the last several days,” Charania said on ESPN’s First Take. “It’s unclear whether a deal is close or where they necessarily stand. But there’s been a high-priced threshold the Celtics have set from the outset of any type of Jaylen Brown trade.”
Charania mentioned the Celtics are asking some teams for four first-round picks in any trade. That price tag isn’t anything new as it’s clear Boston is trying to get as much as possible for Brown. It remains to be seen whether Brown is traded this offseason at all despite the highly-publicized trade rumors.
The Blazers acquired Ja Morant from the Grizzlies in a trade while the Raptors traded for Kawhi Leonard from the Clippers. Both teams were potential landing spots for Brown, but their respective acquisitions likely change the equation.
Meanwhile, the Celtics signed a pair of vets from the free agency market Wednesday. They landed guard Mike Conley on a one-year contract to shore up the guard depth. The noteworthy move is also landing Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson on a three-year contract to shore up the center depth.
Brown is coming off a career-best season where he finished sixth in MVP voting and led the Celtics to 56 wins. While it’s unclear how Brown feels about the trade rumors, the speculation still has been played out publicly for weeks now. For now, it doesn’t seem like there’s an end in sight for what Brown’s future could hold.
“This is the organization choosing to put Jaylen Brown’s name out there among teams,” Charania said. “My understanding is Jaylen Brown has not requested a trade. This is not something that he has advocated for.”
