The Boston Celtics recently emerged as one of the teams that were still working out a possible trade deal for the Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons. At the center of the rumors was Jaylen Brown, who was linked to a one-for-one swap for the Sixers' want-away star.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has broken his silence about the whispers and the 45-year-old executive revealed that he has already confronted Brown to discuss the matter at hand:
“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 on a recent appearance on Toucher & Rich at 98.5 The SportsHub (h/t Celtics Blog). “I just wanted to make sure that he has that peace of mind.”
It was previously reported that the Celtics were had no intention of sending Brown to Philly in exchange for Simmons. They might actually be interested in the former Rookie of the Year, but clearly, not at this price. This recent statement from Stevens all but confirms that Brown isn't going anywhere. For the Celtics All-Star swingman, getting this type of assurance from the big boss is certainly a welcome development for him.
Jaylen Brown has been out of action for the Celtics for a week now due to a hamstring injury. Recent reports state that he's closing in on a return, but Boston has yet to provide a firm timetable on a potential return date.
For his part, Stevens does not appear to be too concerned with Brown's injury despite the fact that this has been a recurring issue for the 25-year-old:
“Not worried about it,” Stevens said. “I think he feels better than he’s felt in any of the previous times that he’s done it. I think this is the third time over the last four or five years that he’s had this particular hamstring flare up. This one was seemingly a little bit lower grade.
“Because it’s the third time, we have to be smart about how quickly he comes back. He’s itching to play sooner rather than later, but at the same time, we need to make sure that it doesn’t become something that reoccurs.”
It is clear that the Celtics aren't going to be rushing Brown's return to action. He's reportedly joined the team in its current road trip, but it doesn't sound like he's going to be suiting up. Nevertheless, the fact that he's traveling with the squad is a good sign. Brown should be back on the court sooner rather than later.
In eight games played this season, Jaylen Brown has averaged a career-high 25.6 points (on 49.3 percent shooting), 6.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, while also connecting on 2.9 triples per game on a 39.7-percent clip. He's clearly a key cog for the Celtics, and as Stevens stated above, Brown still remains to be an integral part of Boston's plans this season.
So nope, the Celtics won't be trading Jaylen Brown for Ben Simmons.
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