New Jaylen Brown Trade Rumors Leak on 'Active' Celtics Talks After Cryptic Post, Stevens' Comments

Even though the Boston Celtics came up short in their pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown remains on the trade block as they look for ways to get back to being the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Celtics are still "actively" engaged in trade talks involving Brown and multiple teams are interested in the five-time All-Star.

Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor added the Minnesota Timberwolves "explored" a trade for Brown before landing LaMelo Ball in a blockbuster with the Charlotte Hornets.

Boston continuing to shop Brown comes amid multiple cryptic posts on social media about cats and rice that may or may not mean anything.

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens offered vague comments about Brown when asked about his status after the first round of the 2026 NBA draft on Tuesday night.

Jaylen Brown is a big part of us," Stevens told reporters. "I don't want to predict the future. I look at it as this is our team."

Stevens did add he has had "really good, candid conversations" with Brown about his potential inclusion in trade talks.

When the Celtics were in discussions with the Milwaukee Bucks for Antetokounmpo, their reported offer was Brown and two first-round picks.

The expectation even after that deal didn't pan out for Boston is Brown would likely remain available in talks. ESPN's Brian Windhorst has said he expects a "bidding war" to emerge as teams pursue the 29-year-old.

Potential suitors for Brown could include the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks.

Brown also seems very open to the idea of a situation that allows him to be the focal point for a team after being regarded as the No. 2 option for the Celtics behind Jayson Tatum.

Following the Celtics' first-round playoff loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Brown declared this the favorite year of his NBA career even though he won Eastern Conference Finals MVP, NBA Finals MVP and a title two years ago.

One reason Brown had fun during the 2025-26 season is because he got to be the No. 1 option for most of the regular season while Tatum was rehabbing a torn Achilles. He set career-highs in scoring (28.7 points per game), rebounding (6.9) and assists (5.1) to finish sixth in MVP voting.

The Celtics finished as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they lost to the Sixers in seven games in the first round of the postseason. It was their first time not winning a playoff series in a season since 2020-21.