Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens addressed the Jaylen Brown trade rumors on day one of the 2026 NBA draft on Tuesday. Stevens seemingly shot down speculation about Brown’s future after Boston reportedly offered him to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks rejected it and accepted the Heat’s package, which included more picks, affordable contracts and younger players. Despite the interest in Brown, Milwaukee was unsure whether the former Finals MVP was willing to lead the franchise.
Stevens assured Brown was a “big part” of the Celtics, as several insiders reported his time with Boston was up despite the Antetokounmpo pursuit falling apart.
“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens said. “I’m never gonna predict the future, but everything that I think about the past few years has been building around those guys (Brown and Jayson Tatum), right. Obviously, you never know. But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he’s always been. …”
“Whether that run ends 10 years from now when he retires or before, there’s a lot to celebrate. We have a great relationship and open relationship where we talk about everything, but I don’t want to predict the future, but I look at it as, this is our team.”
Stevens, not downplaying the possibility of the partnership ending, saw many NBA fans refuse to accept that Brown would be on the Celtics’ opening night roster. Here are some of the reactions to Stevens’ comments:
Celtics actively fielding offers for Jaylen Brown after Giannis deal collapsed: Report
The Celtics have actively fielded offers for Jaylen Brown despite the Giannis Antetokounmpo deal collapsing. Here’s what ESPN’s Shams Charania reported before Tuesday’s draft and Brad Stevens’ comments:
“Even after the failed trade of Giannis and the Celtics, the team has engaged in listening to trade conversations and offers around Jaylen Brown, even today. … Teams that I’ve spoken to feel like there’s a level of intention behind this with the Celtics, but that doesn’t mean a trade will necessarily happen.”
Charania added that Brown has three years left on his supermax contract and will be eligible for a two-year $140 million extension next offseason. While a trade may not be imminent, Charania said some level of fallout between Brown and the Celtics is possible after he was involved in the package for Antetokounmpo.
Read more:
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