The Boston Celtics have two of the Top 10 players in the NBA on one team. Jayson Taum and Jaylen Brown have brought the storied ranchise numerous championship runs and an NBA title in 2024. It just seems that everyone else wants these guys to break up and twist every narrative, situation and circumstance to help the Celtics usher Brown out of town.
According to reports, the Celtics had a nice package ready for the Milwaukee Bucks for disgruntled superstar Giannis Antentokoumpo, but it was declined and Milwaukee instead decided to trade the former NBA finals MVP to Miami.
Brad Stevens Says Jaylen Brown “Still Valued” After Trying To Trade Him
With media going crazy and Brown clearly not enamored with the ordeal, Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said Tuesday night that the All-Star forward remains “valued” by the organization.
“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens said. “I’m never going to predict the future. Every indication, everything I think about, over the last few years, has been building around those guys. You never know. But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he’s always been. He’s been amazing. He’s been an amazing teammate and a great person to be around.”
This is of course, panic damage control, stemming from drama that came a day after ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Celtics offered Brown and two first-round picks to the Bucks as part of a trade package. When it fell through, speculation and doubt ran rampant on social media concerning the current relationship between Brown and Boston, who picked Houston forward Chris Cenac Jr. with its first-round selection in the NBA draft Tuesday night.
Stevens revealed that he and Brown had multiple meetings this offseason and he’s in steady contact with Brown’s agent.
“With all the rumor mill and all that stuff, and his name being splashed all over the place, that’s not easy,” Stevens said. “We certainly wanted to be as proactive and up-front with that as possible. I thought we had really good, candid conversations. … I’ll always keep our conversations private. I think it’s appropriate regardless of what the content of those conversations is like.”
“What I said is really true: I don’t love the fact any time it’s a big, public thing. We try to keep things as close to the vest and as quiet as possible. The rumor mill is the rumor mill, and there’s going to be a lot of noise out there,” Stevens added.
Brown, 29, is a former finals MVP coming off a sensational season where he carried the Celtics for most of the campaign with Jayson Tatum recovering from injury. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists to finish sixth in NBA MVP voting and earn All-NBA second-team honors, but caught flak after the Celtics lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Philadelphia 76ers. Then caught more grief when he said the 2025-26 campaign was his “favorite year of my basketball career.”
What wasn’t confirmed is whether the Celtics are still entertaining offers for Brown.
ESPN Analyst Blames Jayson Tatum
Some media talking heads thought Tatum should be more vocal during these business matters with Brown.
“The only person that hasn’t talked during this whole scenario, has been Jayson Tatum. … Jayson Tatum needs to step up and say [Jaylen Brown’s] my dude,” said @SethOnHoops on “Get Up, Wednesday morning.
Tatum is recovering from his non-contact injury that ended a triumphant comeback from a ruptured right Achilles tendon suffered during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks on May 12, 2025. His comeback didn’t last long as he was injured in Game 4 of this year’s first round. So he has a lot on his plate as he tries to regain his old form. There have been reports that his relationship with Brown isn’t the best, but that’s never stopped them from being a dynamic duo in the past.
Fans React To Seth Greenberg Placing Blame On Tatum’s Silence
“Bro out here acting like Tatum is the Celtics General Manager, Head of HR, and PR director all at once. SMH,” one fan said, defending Brown.
“That’s not his business,” another user commented.
“Jayson Tatum has said year over year that JB is his dude. You media characters are so goofy,” one netizen complained.
“Why is the media so obsessed with JB and JT? Been trying to split them up for a DECADE.,” quipped another fan.
What Now For Boston Celtics, Brad Stevens & Jaylen Brown?
Stevens has to either trade Brown at this point or do some serious damage control to get everybody back on the same page.
“Whether [Brown’s run in Boston] ends 10 years from now when he retires or before, there’s a lot to celebrate,” Stevens said. “We have a great relationship and an open relationship where we talk about everything. But I don’t want to predict the future.”
Then again, Brown has three years remaining on a robust five-year, $285.4 million extension he signed in 2023, and he’s eligible to sign a two-year, $141.9 million extension on July 26. He also could just play good soldier, suck up the perceived disrespect and ball out like the pro he is.
