The Boston Celtics have spent the last few weeks making calls about Jaylen Brown. The returns have not been great.
As free agency opened Tuesday night, league sources indicate the Celtics are finding very few serious trade partners for their All-Star forward. The awkward part? Boston’s front office dangled Brown’s name in talks for Giannis Antetokounmpo before he went to Miami. Now the Bucks star is off the board, and the Celtics are stuck trying to figure out what to do with a player who knows he was almost traded.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick rounded up the temperature from multiple teams. It’s lukewarm at best.
Portland’s Interest Is Tepid
The Trail Blazers have been the most commonly mentioned suitor for Brown. But according to league sources, Portland’s interest is moderate at best. They’ve kicked the tires but haven’t moved past that stage. No formal offers. No serious traction.
Denver Isn’t Biting
Some reports suggested the Nuggets were a real threat to land Brown. That appears to be overstated. Sources tell Amick that Denver hasn’t spoken to Boston since the weekend, and whatever interest they had has been significantly overblown by outside speculation. The Nuggets aren’t chasing this deal.
The Nets? Not engaged at all. Brooklyn’s name got floated around but there’s no real dialogue happening between the two teams.
So where does that leave Boston? Not in a great spot. Brown is a two-way star who averaged 26.6 points last season. He’s 26 years old. But the Celtics are also staring down a massive contract extension for him — a supermax that would kick in next summer. That alone might be scaring off teams.
Free agency is officially underway now. The Celtics have other moves to make. They need to reload around Jayson Tatum. But the Brown situation is going to hang over everything until something breaks. Either they find a willing trade partner or they commit long-term to a pairing that just hasn’t worked at the highest level. And right now the phone isn’t ringing off the hook.
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