Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown reportedly wants to stay in Boston for the long term.
Brown has been involved in trade rumors alongside Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant this offseason, but one NBA executive believes Brown will be in Boston for as long as the team wants him.
“I think Jaylen IS long term,” the NBA executive told Heavy.com’s Steve Bulpett. “If they want him long term and they’re going to pay him the contract he deserves, I think he’s all-in on Boston. From everything I’ve been told, Jaylen’s a loyal guy. I know frustration can happen when things aren’t going well, and I think we saw some of that earlier in this past season.
“But when you take a step back and look at things, I think he wants to be there. And any problems that could ever happen with that relationship would probably have to come from him getting the idea that they’re not in on him. And right now I don’t see that from the Celtics. I think they know what they have in Jaylen — now and for the future — and they want to keep that going.”
Brown has two years remaining on his contract before hitting unrestricted free agency. While Boston has apparently offered him in talks for Durant, nothing has materialized between the two teams yet.
The Celtics would be wise to stay in Brown’s good graces, as the team proved last season that it can compete for an NBA title. Boston finished with the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and went to the NBA Finals before losing to the Golden State Warriors in six games.
Brown, a one-time All-Star, had a fantastic 2021-22 season. He finished the campaign averaging 23.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Obviously, there is an allure to bringing Durant onto any roster, but the Celtics have a championship-caliber team whether they trade for the two-time NBA Finals MVP or not.
Brown is much younger than Durant and has shown that he can play well alongside Celtics star Jayson Tatum in their time together.
If Brown truly wants to be in Boston, it’s hard to see the Celtics breaking up their core unless they feel they can get Durant on a discount in the trade market.
