NBA Trade Proposal Sends Celtics’ Jaylen Brown To Nets

One NBA analyst proposed that the Boston Celtics trade Jaylen Brown to the Brooklyn Nets this offseason. 

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report proposed that the Celtics send Brown to the Nets for Cam Thomas, Noah Clowney, the No. 8 pick in the 2025 draft, a 2027 first-round pick and a top-5 protected 2031 first-round pick.

This would be a sign-and-trade deal since Thomas is a restricted free agent. 

“A primary purpose of this move would be to push Boston’s salary under the second-apron line, which would make it possible for them to aggregate outgoing salaries in other deals,” Bailey wrote. “The Nets are a prime candidate for such a move, since they can realistically get to over $50 million in cap space this summer and absorb much of Brown’s $53.1 million salary into that space.

“Of course, it helps to pick up multiple first-round picks, too. And getting Brown in his prime would be worth that (though the Nets might insist on more protections). He’d be a building block-level talent for a Nets team that could be desperate to have one after failing to secure a top-four pick in the lottery. And his fit alongside Cameron Johnson‘s outside shooting and Nicolas Claxton‘s rim running isn’t hard to imagine.”

The Celtics lost to the New York Knicks in the conference semifinals in six games. Jayson Tatum tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 4. The superstar could miss all of next season. 

Boston may have to break up its core this offseason since its payroll would reach about $500 million if no changes are made. 

Brown finished this season with a partially torn right meniscus. The 2024 Finals MVP averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Celtics in the regular season and 22.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in the 2025 postseason. 

The 28-year-old Brown will make $53,142,264 next season. The California product has career averages of 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists.