The Los Angeles Clippers have Kawhi Leonard trade talks happening. They might also have a more interesting one brewing. And it involves a guy who just won Finals MVP.
According to ESPN’s Vince Goodwill, the Clippers are one of several teams with serious interest in Boston’s Jaylen Brown. And the way one executive put it? The Clippers “want Brown bad.” Not exactly subtle.
Brown has three years and $183 million left on his deal. That’s a lot of money but he’s also coming off the best season of his career. 28.7 points. 6.9 rebounds. 5.1 assists. A championship ring. A Finals MVP trophy. At age 28 he’s squarely in his prime.
The Celtics are in an interesting spot. They tried to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo and it didn’t happen. Now they’re supposedly gauging what Brown is worth on the open market. Some execs think Boston is bluffing. But enough people around the league believe the calls are real that this story has legs.
Why the Clippers make sense
L.A. has a window problem. Kawhi is 33 and can’t stay healthy. Paul George is gone. James Harden is 35. The Clippers don’t have their own draft picks for years because of the Paul George trade. So they have to win now or risk becoming irrelevant for a long time.
Brown changes that math. He’s younger than Kawhi. He’s durable. He just proved he can be the best player on a championship team. Pairing him with Kawhi for a year or two could keep L.A. in contention while they figure out the next phase.
But it’s not just the Clippers. Portland and Denver have also checked in, per Goodwill’s sources. The Blazers have young assets and picks to offer. Denver has Michael Porter Jr. and draft capital. Boston’s preference seems to be sending Brown out West, which narrows the field a bit.
The Celtics’ real question
Boston doesn’t have to trade Brown. He didn’t ask out. The locker room is fine. The team just won a title. But front offices think about the future differently than fans do. Three years at $183 million is a lot for any player who isn’t named Luka or Jokic. If Boston thinks they can get a package that makes them deeper or sets up a bigger move later, they’ll listen.
The catch is that the best player available to them was Giannis and that didn’t happen. If they trade Brown for a haul of role players and picks, are they better? Probably not. The path gets cloudy fast.
For now it’s a staring contest. Boston wants to see what the market will pay. The Clippers want Brown bad enough to be the loudest suitor. And everyone else is watching to see if this turns into something real or just another summer rumor that fades by media day.
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