Jaylen Brown has been the subject of trade rumors all season long, but after a horrific Game 7 performance and loss to the Miami Heat, it’s officially time to let the speculation begin.
In what will be a long offseason for the Celtics, they now need to decide how to manage this roster with new CBA and salary cap rules.
With Brown’s impending free agency coming, PointsBet Sportsbook has placed next team odds for the Celtics star.
Currently, oddsmakers believe that the Celtics have an 83.3 percent chance (-500 odds) to retain their star wing.
But here’s the catch.
The Celtics will need to pay Brown $292,29 million over five years for an average of $58 million annually.
This would put Boston in a highly dicey salary cap situation, where they would be paying Brown and Tatum upwards of $120 million per year on what is expected to be a $134 million salary cap in 2024.
Below we break down Brown’s next team odds and how he fits in some interesting situations.
Jaylen Brown next team
Boston Celtics -500
Jayson Tatum is due a five-year $318 million extension after next season, which he will get.
So the Celtics are bracing to pay pretty much the entire salary cap on their two-star wings, giving them nearly no flexibility in the future.
At face value, the Celtics should protect the asset and run it back with their current nucleus: After all, they were one game away from back-to-back NBA Finals appearances.
Most high-level reporting has been that the Celtics will protect the asset and sign Brown to a lucrative extension.
But are they even sure he will be happy in Boston?
“I don’t know,” he told Logan Murdock of The Ringer in March when asked about his future with the team. “As long as I’m needed. It’s not up to me. We’ll see how they feel about me over time, and I feel about them over time.”
He hasn’t looked very happy in the past, that’s for sure.
Dallas Mavericks +600
This one needs some obvious help, probably a three-team deal and maybe four teams involved.
The Mavericks can sign and trade Kyrie Irving but we know he is not going back to Boston so that forces another team to get involved.
Maybe it’s a team with plenty of young talent looking to win now, like the Rockets.
Or maybe Golden State could get involved and move off one of their stars not named Stephen Curry.
Dallas has made so many mistakes on Tim Hardaway Jr., Davis Bertans, Maxi Kleber, JaVale McGee, and many more that they won’t easily be able to get off of.
They are unlikely to snag Brown, for now.
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Portland Trail Blazers +700
This is the better option for Boston.
The Celtics should be looking to trade Brown for the No. 3 overall pick, Afernee Simons, and perhaps a few other draft choices from the Trail Blazers.
A chess move here by Brad Stevens and the Celtics would help lengthen your championship window and build around Tatum.
The return of a deadeye shooter like Simons and the opportunity to develop Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson from the draft keeps your team in contention for years to come and gives you tons of cap flexibility.
Many will say that Damian Lillard should be the target for Boston, but that makes little sense.
The Trail Blazers would be looking to win now by acquiring Brown, which would be much harder if they moved a top-15 player like Lillard.
Golden State Warriors +900
Could the Celtics work with the Warriors’ front office and bring in a few fresh faces alongside Tatum?
Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody should all be available in a trade like this.
Colin Cowherd proposed a Wiggins and Poole swap for Brown, and this trade makes both teams better immediately.
New York Knicks +2000
The Knicks need to add a wing.
New York hasn’t had a great go with bringing in forward since Carmelo Anthony left in 2017.
Brown is easy to make fit on any team thanks to his defensive ability and shooting prowess.
He just can’t be the best guy on a championship-winning team.
Jalen Brunson is a proven guard that can dominate the ball and the headlines in New York, while Brown works on his dribbling skills and attempts to jump up a level.
A trade would likely include Evan Fournier’s expiring contract, a haul of draft capital, Julius Randle or Obi Toppin, and/or Quentin Grimes.
It’s a hefty price, but Brown makes the team much better and is only 26.