As the NBA offseason gets underway, one of the more fascinating teams across the league is the Boston Celtics. After falling short of a repeat, Boston now enters the offseason with a lot of questions surrounding the roster.
Due to the Celtics being over the second apron of the salary cap, many around the NBA are expecting Boston to break up its core. This could see the Celtics part with a few key contributors this summer, ending what was a dominant two-year run.
While it remains to be seen which players will actually be moved, there have been all sorts of rumors flying around. Some have included star forward Jaylen Brown, who just underwent offseason surgery.
But the thought of trading Brown could help the Celtics more than many realize. Celtics insider Jay King of The Athletic reveals one massive reason why trading Brown could be in the cards, depending on how the front office wants to play things this summer.
“To escape the luxury tax entirely, the Celtics would need to eliminate more than $40 million of salary. If that is a goal for the front office, a trade of Brown and/or Derrick White would become more realistic.
“Trading Brown would be painful. The front office should only consider doing it for the right price — a high one. But if Tatum’s injury convinces the Celtics to take a short-term step back, a Brown trade could help them load up on draft picks and young talent while shedding significant salary.”
Boston isn’t likely to trade Brown, especially given the injury to co-star Jayson Tatum. But if the team determined that it wanted to have a full restart, moving Brown would make a lot of sense.
The star forward is on the books for four more years and is scheduled to make $53.1 million next season. His final year on the books is scheduled to pay him $64.9 million as a 32-year-old player.
Boston may look to get out of this deal, especially considering the penalties for consecutive second-round appearances. The Celtics could likely net a strong return if they made him available, and could build the team fully around Tatum.
But for now, it seems like the duo will stick together going forward. However, if the Celtics were to receive an offer that they couldn’t refuse for Brown, the four-time All-Star could be playing elsewhere next season.
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