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The Celtics find themselves in an awkward situation after their reported offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo was turned down on Monday night. That package included Jaylen Brown and two first-round draft picks, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
"There is going to be some fallout from this, some hard conversations, because for the second time in four years, the Celtics have offered Jaylen Brown, their co-star with Jayson Tatum, in a trade," Charania said on Sportscenter.
That other time was back in 2022, when the Celtics included Brown in a package for Kevin Durant that was rejected by the Nets. As ESPN's Brian Windhorst suggested on Tuesday morning, there could be other offers for Brown now that the floodgates have opened.
"What I expect to happen, is a bidding war for Jaylen Brown," Windhorst said on ESPN's Get Up show. "In the most recent days, teams have been preparing for this eventuality. That it wouldn’t be the Boston Celtics who won the Giannis sweepstakes and that there would be a Jaylen Brown market, and now we’re going to watch that. I think it’ll take time to play out, but if there is a draft pick involved, it could happen [Tuesday]."
Windhorst added his opinion that Brown was probably going to be gone by the start of the season.
If that were to happen, then where could he land? Here are the fake trades that make the most sense.
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Jaylen Brown trade destinations
Houston Rockets
The Celtics tried to trade Brown for Durant four years ago. Could they do it again?
Durant obviously isn't the same guy that he was back in 2022, and Brown has gotten a lot better. The terms of the original KD trade would have to change significantly. But Durant does still provide some of the stuff that the Celtics are missing. He can create a good shot whenever he wants, and he'd be helpful in crunch time where we've seen Boston's offense melt down over and over.
Durant also has his own awkward situation to deal with in Houston after allegations of using a burner X account to call out his teammates. The chemistry seemed off after that point.
Brown already showed last season that he is capable of being the No. 1 guy on a great offense in Boston. He could help solve some of Houston's offensive issues, particularly given his familiarity with former Celtics coach Ime Udoka. This one makes the most sense.
Atlanta Hawks
Brown is an Atlanta area native and has been linked to the Hawks previously. Jalen Johnson would presumably be off the table in a trade, but Atlanta has several good supporting pieces that they could package together to try and interest the Celtics.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a great two-way guard that fits into Boston's style of play. Onyeka Okongwu is a solid starting center that could provide some stretch shooting and defensive versatility. Zaccharie Risacher hasn't worked out, but he is only a few years removed from being selected No. 1 overall in 2024. Those three could provide the basis of a trade package, with additional salaries and picks from the Hawks to balance it out.
That's a lot to give up for Atlanta, who has thrived based on a balanced starting lineup. But they need more star talent to get deeper into the playoffs, and Brown certainly provides that.
MORE: Trade grades on Heat-Bucks Giannis blockbuster
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers aren't close to contending for a title and signaled a willingness to take a step back by trading Ivica Zubac at last year's deadline. Could they take another one by trading Kawhi Leonard?
Leonard was very quietly a top five player in the league last season and played better than Brown. While injuries are always a concern, Leonard managed to suit up for 65 games. He's turning 35 years old on June 29th and doesn't make much sense for Los Angeles' timeline. They already made a trade to get younger by moving James Harden for Darius Garland four months ago. Could they do it again by moving Leonard for Brown?
Leonard would certainly shorten the Celtics' window of contention. If he stayed healthy though, he would give them a better chance at a championship next season. And he's on an expiring $50 million this season, giving the Celtics an opportunity to clear significant salary off their books in the summer of 2027.
Washington Wizards
The Celtics have been linked to Anthony Davis twice, in 2019 and 2026. He is the type of rim protector and offensive force that they could have used in a weak center rotation last year.
Davis' trade value was very low last year, and his availability has always been a problem. A one-for-one trade wouldn't make sense given that Brown is a more valuable player.
The Wizards made a huge move indicating a desire to accelerate their timeline though, giving Trae Young a massive $212 million contract earlier in the week. Pairing Young with Brown and the No. 1 selection in the draft would create an interest long-term core.
Washington still has six picks to trade outside of their untouchable No. 1 selection if they wanted to get in on the Brown sweepstakes. Including several of those wouldn't be the wisest move from the Wizards' perspective, but it's within the realm of possibility.
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