Celtics Trade Rumors: Jaylen Brown Was Never Seriously Shopped for James Harden
The Boston Celtics apparently weren't parting with Jaylen Brown in order to get James Harden.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated revealed as much during a conversation with NBC Sports Boston on Wednesday, saying "there was no significant interest in any deal [for Harden] that involved Jaylen Brown."
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Houston Rockets sent Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in a deal that also involved the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Of note, the Rockets landed Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum, Rodions Kurucs, three Brooklyn first-round picks, one Milwaukee Bucks first-round pick and four Brooklyn first-round pick swaps.
There were a number of reasons for Boston to explore a trade for Harden, not the least of which was preventing him from going to Brooklyn, an Atlantic Division rival.
The Nets now have Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, which is arguably the best trio in the league. Anything short of an NBA Finals appearance would be a disappointment with all three of those players on the same team, and the Celtics may have to go through the Nets in the playoffs.
However, Brown is just 24 years old and appears well on his way to becoming one of the best playmakers in the Eastern Conference.
He is averaging 26.3 points (ninth-best in the NBA), 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game this season while shooting 53.9 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from three-point range. He has thrived while taking on more offensive responsibilities with Kemba Walker sidelined and seems to have notable chemistry with fellow star Jayson Tatum.
Considering Tatum is just 22 years old, he and Brown may be one of the best one-two punches in the league for a decade-plus.
Breaking that potential up would have been costly for the Celtics, even if it meant bringing in a three-time scoring champion with an MVP on his resume.
