Jaylen Brown, Ben Simmons Trade Rumors Denied by Celtics' Stevens: 'Nothing Doing'

Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens said he told forward Jaylen Brown not to worry about the recent trade rumors because there's "nothing doing."

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Monday the Celtics had "engaged in conversations" with the Philadelphia 76ers about a potential blockbuster deal for Ben Simmons and that Brown would be part of the package.

Stevens responded to the speculation Thursday on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher and Rich (via Celtics Blog).

"I just walked up to Jaylen and said, 'Your name is all over the place as you know. Obviously, from our standpoint, you're a Celtic and obviously a guy that we think exceptionally high of. Nothing doing,'" Stevens said. "I just wanted to make sure that he has that peace of mind."

The Celtics executive admitted that after a 2-5 start to the 2021-22 season he wasn't sure whether the team had the right mix of players to find success.

"We're gonna find out," Stevens told Michael Holley of NBC Sports Boston in early November.

Boston has won four of its five games since then.

Brown, who's currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, is off to a strong start to the campaign. He's averaging a team-high 25.6 points along with 6.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 49.3 percent from the field, including 39.7 percent on threes, through eight appearances.

Multiple sources were "adamant" to Brian Robb of Mass Live that the Celtics have "no interest" in moving the 2016 third overall pick in any deal.

Meanwhile, another rift has emerged between Simmons and the Sixers as he decided to step away to focus on his mental health, but the team has fined him for games where he hasn't been in attendance.

Rich Paul, the guard's agent, told Charania he believes it's creating a situation that further exacerbates the mental health issues.

"I truly believe the fines, the targeting, the negative publicity shined on the issue—that's very unnecessary and has furthered the mental health issues for Ben," Paul said. "Either you help Ben or come out and say he's lying. Which one is it?"

The Sixers responded to that claim by telling The Athletic they are "absolutely not" demanding he play or suggesting he's lying about the mental health treatment, and instead want him involved in team activities until a mental health professional says otherwise.

Simmons previously stayed away from the organization for most of training camp and the preseason while awaiting a trade that never arrived. There's no timetable for his return to game action.

It's unlikely a trade, especially featuring one with a caliber of player like Brown included, would be made until there's more clarity on Simmons' availability.

In the meantime, both the Celtics and 76ers are back in action Saturday night. Boston visits the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Philly travels to face the Indiana Pacers.