The Boston Celtics organization, not just their fans, have heard the trade rumors surrounding star wing Jaylen Brown for years.

However, up to this point, the Celtics organization has resisted the temptation of splitting up a pair of ball-dominant perimeter players. Instead, Boston has looked for Brown and All-Star forward Jayson Tatum to lead them to the promised land.

Their best season to date appears to have been just last year, with the Celtics making it to the 2022 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games. Still, even while losing their head coach to a scandal in the offseason, Boston was able to lean on Brown and Tatum throughout the 2022-23 regular season as the Celtics finished with a 57-25 record.

In a ‘what have you done for me lately' league, the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals have fans and analysts alike wondering how long Boston can keep this up.

After all, Brown has been uncharacteristically passive, not only taking a backseat to Tatum but seeming to not want to force the issue. Yet, due to recent comments about needing to demand the ball more, there's reason to question if that approach is entirely voluntarily.

 

All of which leads to conversations about Brown's future with the Celtics. Not in the least because Brown will be a free agent after the 2023-24 season unless he signs a contract extension.

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If Brown were to be traded, ESPN insider Zach Lowe believes there would be “robust demand” for his services.

“There would be robust demand for Jaylen Brown from a lot of teams if Boston ever actually started making or listening or picking up the phone or whatever you do with your phone when you maybe investigate a trade,” says Lowe.

Brown is averaging 23.1 points per game in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. He averaged a career-high 26.6 points per game in the 2022-23 regular season.