The Boston Celtics season is over, and Jaylen Brown trade rumors are flying after a disappointing first-round exit. Brad Stevens is reportedly going to explore the trade market for Brown, and a new report revealed a team that tried to acquire him recently.
According to NBA insider Chris Mannix, the Atlanta Hawks had brief conversations with the Celtics about Brown.
“I wrote this week about the Atlanta Hawks. Jaylen is a Georgia native. Last offseason, the Celtics and Hawks did have a brief conversation about Jaylen Brown,” Mannix said on Saturday. “It didn’t really go anywhere. The Hawks were leery about the size of Brown’s contract, which at the time was, I believe, the richest contract in NBA history. And they weren’t really in a position to go all in. The Celtics were not looking to give Jaylen Brown away, either. So, it didn’t go anywhere.”
The conversations went nowhere at the time. However, if reports of Stevens looking at Brown's trademark this offseason are true, the Hawks could once again emerge as a contender to land Brown.
“That’s a team, given what happened this season, that I could see getting interested in Jaylen Brown,” Mannix said. “Again, the Miamis, the Houstons, Golden State: teams that are theoretically going to be in the mix for Giannis Antetokounmpo, could turn around and make a run at Jaylen Brown. So, I think that situation bears watching.”
Brown is extension-eligible this offseason. If the Celtics are planning to move on from him, moving him this offseason would make sense. The Hawks have ammo to make a blockbuster trade. They hold the No. 8 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. They can get creative with trades, and if Brown is a player they like, they could revisit the idea.
The Hawks recently got rid of Trae Young, so adding Brown would give them an elite scorer to replace him. Brown's future in Boston will be something to monitor this offseason. NBA insider Jake Fischer recently noted that if the Celtics trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo and give up Brown, the Milwaukee Bucks would be looking to move Brown to a third team. The Hawks could be that team.
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