What the hell is going on with Jaylen Brown? The Boston Celtics star and Jayson Tatum's partner-in-crime never really left the proverbial trade block despite his stellar play. Every time a star was available for trade, Brown's name was always included in a potential deal. All that talk has clearly affected Brown's stance on staying with Boston: he recently gave a non-committal response about signing a new deal.

That, of course, sparked rumors about Brown potentially leaving for (figuratively) greener pastures. Amid all of these rumors, Jayson Tatum talked about his discussion with Jaylen Brown along with Celtics general manager Brad Stevens. Here's what he had to say, per HoopsHype,

“Jayson Tatum on what he and Brad Stevens told Jaylen Brown during the past offseason: “Just reassuring the obvious — that we need him. He’s a big part of this team, this franchise. Without him, we can’t reach our goal.””

It's easy for us fans to talk about hypothetical trades involving our players. As Brown demonstrated, though, all that talk has a real effect on the player involved in the talks. It probably cuts a little deeper for Brown: he's been one of the best players for the Celtics this year. For him to play his heart out for the team, only to be repeatedly involved in trade discussions, has to be a little disheartening.

A small slump from the Celtics late in the season paved the way for their rival Philadelphia to chase them for the second seed. Securing the second seed would give them home-court advantage until the Conference semi-finals, at least. Can Brown, Tatum, and the rest of the Cs regroup and find their rhythm to close out this chaotic season?