Celtics predicted to trade Jaylen Brown to Western Conference contender in blockbuster deal

The Boston Celtics are due for a shakeup.

Not only is a second-round playoff exit for a defending NBA Champion disappointing, losing your best player for possibly a full-year is perhaps even worse...and that's exactly where the Celtics find themselves after losing to the New York Knicks in six games in their Eastern Conference semifinal series, which saw Jayson Tatum tear his Achilles in the Celtics' Game 4 loss.

With the 2025-2026 season being Bill Chisholm's first-year as the Celtics owner, he'll surely like to get his new asset under the league's second apron, which will see the new owner foot a massive $500 million bill and the loss of their 2032 first-round pick if the club doesn't get under the second apron before the start of next season, after spending the last three years over the second level.

With the new owner likely wanting to save some money, Tatum likely out until 2026, Al Horford considering retirement, the oft-injured (Kristaps Porzingis) and aging former stars (Jrue Holiday) still on the books for a combined near $60 million, next season, it's almost a guarantee the Celtics won't look the same next season.

With rumors swirling around the availability of Holiday and Porzingis, could Brad Stevens and the front office opt to instead (or also) move on from Jaylen Brown and his $54 million due for 2025-2026?

In a proposed deal from Bleacher Report's Rob Perez. the Celtics do just that and ship out their NBA Finals MVP to the Houston Rockets.

Boston Celtics Receive: Fred VanVleet, Tari Eason, 2025 First-Round Pick (#10 overall)

Houston Rockets Receive: Jaylen Brown

If the deal were to happen, the Rockets would need to accept VanVleet's $40 million team option for 2025, which would give the Celtics some much-needed cap-relief next summer, a young, cost controlled role player in Eason, and the 10th pick in this summer's draft.

On the other side, the Rockets would be getting their go-to scorer, who will take some pressure off young stars, Jalen Green and Amen Thompson. Brown's defensive versatility coupled with his familiarity with Rockets head coach, Ime Udoka would only solidify the culture the former Celtics coach is building in H-Town after leading the club to the second seed in the Western Conference, this season.