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Despite a whirlwind of rumors and speculation and an offseason of sweeping changes, the Boston Celtics never seriously considered trading Jaylen Brown or Derrick White, according to NBA insiders Jake Fischer and Brett Siegel. Amid offers leading up to the 2025 NBA Draft, Boston’s stance on its two cornerstone players remained firm. Both players were off the table.
League sources confirmed with Siegel that the phone “rang nonstop” for both players in the days leading up to the draft, particularly after Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury was expected to sideline him for most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season. Toronto aggressively pursued White, even offering the No. 9 overall pick and attempting to include RJ Barrett’s contract. But the Celtics, wary of luxury tax penalties and cap inflexibility, declined.
Golden State also made inquiries. Still, as Fischer stated, “Nothing ever got really close.”
As for Brown, who is entering the second year of a $300 million extension, the Utah Jazz, led by Danny and Austin Ainge, made a strong push, reportedly involving the No. 5 pick and expiring contracts. Boston didn’t bite.
The Celtics made roster moves elsewhere
The Celtics’ only major roster reshuffling involved trading Jrue Holiday to Portland for Anfernee Simons and parting with Kristaps Porzingis. These deals helped the franchise duck the punitive second apron and save around $180 million in tax penalties, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Internally, Boston believes it can remain competitive, even without Tatum. There’s strong optimism around Payton Pritchard leveling up, with Fischer suggesting an All-Star nod isn’t out of the question. And while trade talks continue around veterans like Simons and Georges Niang, both Brown and White appear locked in for the foreseeable future.
This isn’t a team preparing to tank. Instead, the Celtics are adjusting, financially and philosophically, around a new era, with Brown and White at the center of it.
