Celtics
Brown has been the subject of trade rumors for much of the offseason, but the team has publicly indicated it has no plans to move him.
Jaylen Brown has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
By Conor Roche
June 29, 2025 | 4:32 PM
3 minutes to read
The 2025 NBA Draft has come and gone, but the trade rumors surrounding Jaylen Brown haven’t stopped.
In the most recent episode of his podcast, “The Zach Lowe Show,” The Ringer’s Zach Lowe mentioned that, while he views a Brown trade as unlikely this offseason, he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a team making a grand offer for the Celtics star.
“I get the sense there was real smoke, there was something going on,” Lowe said of the recent rumors surrounding Brown. “That something maybe has subsided. I said last week that I would bet on [Brown and Derrick White] being on the Celtics next year but I’m not slamming the door shut on some team, the Kings come to mind, being like, ‘We’ll offer you everything, all the swaps, all the picks, whatever you want for Jaylen Brown’ and at least making the Celtics think about it.
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“I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think [Brown and White] will be on the team next year, but they instantly could become the main characters of free agency.”
If the Kings were to make “everything” available for Brown, they could offer the Celtics a package that includes an All-Star big and several first-round picks. Domantas Sabonis is clearly Sacramento’s top player, averaging 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds (most in the league), and six assists per game this past season. The 29-year-old is also a three-time All-Star, finishing in the top 10 in MVP voting in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
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The Celtics and Kings would be able to make a Brown-for-Sabonis trade without having to include other players. Such a deal would help Boston shed $10.8 million in salary and nearly get them under the luxury tax. Considering Lowe’s statement, Sacramento could also add some sweeteners to make the deal work. The Kings can offer up to six first-round picks and three first-round pick swaps this offseason.
However, the Kings would likely want to make a deal for Brown in hopes of pairing him with Sabonis as they seek to make a playoff run in a deep Western Conference. If that’s the case, then either Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan would almost certainly have to be included in a deal for Brown due to salary rules.
While LaVine and DeRozan are volume scorers, neither would seem to be too enticing as a centerpiece in a deal for Brown. LaVine, 30, averaged 23.3 points per game this past season as he was moved from the Bulls to the Kings ahead of the NBA trade deadline. It marked the sixth time in seven years that LaVine has scored at least 20 points per game, but his scoring hasn’t translated to winning much as he’s only made the playoffs once in his 11-year career.
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Additionally, LaVine has two years remaining on a five-year, $215 million contract he signed in 2022. So, trading Brown for him wouldn’t do much to create cap flexibility.
DeRozan might be the lesser of the two players, averaging 22.2 points per game this past season. But, as DeRozan will turn 36 in August, his salary situation is a bit more manageable. He’s owed just over $50 million in the next two seasons, which would allow the Celtics to create some financial flexibility.
The Kings also have a few enticing role players who could possibly entice the Celtics. Malik Monk, 27, was the runner-up in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2023-24 before averaging 17.2 points and 5.6 assists per game this past season. Keon Ellis emerged as a key reserve guard for the Kings in his third season in the league this past year, averaging 8.3 points per game as he was a knockdown 3-point shooter (43.3 percent). Keegan Murray, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, has also been a solid contributor for the Kings in his career, averaging 13.3 points per game through his first three seasons.
Ultimately, the Kings might have to end up offering the “everything” Lowe alluded to. The Celtics kept Brown as it was rumored that teams who held a top-10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft had made offers for the four-time All-Star.
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Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens also indicated that Brown is a part of the team’s core moving forward Vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren gave an even stronger denial of the rumors surrounding Brown and White on Thursday.
“Those two guys are really, really great NBA players, and there hasn’t been anything close to serious about trading them,” Zarren said. “I’m not sure where all this reporting came from, but those guys are key parts of our team, and we’re lucky to have them here.”
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