​The earliest whispers that the Boston Celtics might be weighing trades for Jaylen Brown began to surface after a surprisingly painful outcome: the team, heavy favorites, was eliminated in Game 7 of its first-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers. Brown had cooled off late, going 28-for-67 over the final three games, all losses, as Boston had sprinted out to a 3-1 series lead only to see momentum slip away. In the weeks that followed, chatter about trading Brown grew louder, yet throughout the league, teams were zeroing in on Boston’s other star prize: Jayson Tatum.
Tatum, who had just undergone surgery for a torn Achilles, made a partial return for the final month-plus of the season and the shortened playoff run. He showed flashes of form amid some inconsistencies, averaging 21.9 points on 41.1 percent shooting in the regular season—well below his typical efficiency—before elevating to 23.3 points on 46.5 percent shooting during the playoffs. That improvement, coupled with reports that the Celtics would entertain Brown offers, spurred other teams to call about Tatum. Yet the Celtics were adamant in their replies: they were never weighing a potential Tatum deal.
ESPN’s Shams Charania described Boston’s stance in a discussion with Stephen A. Smith on Tuesday, making the distinction clear. Charania said, “Over the last three, four weeks while this Jaylen Brown stuff was going on, teams were calling the Celtics on Jayson Tatum. Their answer was hard stop, ‘No, we’re not trading Jayson Tatum. He’s untouchable. He’s not on the table.’ Jaylen Brown, different story—open for business, ready to trade him, give us your best offer. So that’s the dichotomy of both of those situations.” He added, “Just so we know from a reporting perspective, like they treated Jaylen Brown different than they treated Jayson Tatum.”
Of course, Brown is no longer a Celtic in a franchise-altering deal that sent him away to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a package including Paul George and two first-round picks plus two second-round picks. Since his departure, a flood of information has emerged about the dynamics between Brown and Tatum. It has been floated that the two stars did not get along off the court, though their on-court chemistry remained strong. Charania noted that, for years, “on the court, they were amazing, hard-working professionals together,” but that their personal relationship had deteriorated over the last year or so to something close to nonexistence, even as their play remained impressive.
Tatum is expected to remain with the Celtics, and early word suggests George will as well. That said, the front office has not ruled out making a move this summer. The Celtics currently hold a $27.7 million traded player exception, a tool that could become meaningful if they can create room under the first apron—and if they decide that, in their broader strategic planning, a summer tweak could push them closer to their championship aspirations. Whether they will deploy that exception, and how they might structure any potential acquisition, remains up in the air, contingent on roster, cap flexibility, and team goals in the coming season.