The Boston Celtics continue to face questions surrounding Jaylen Brown and his future, but team president Brad Stevens made it clear this week that the All-NBA forward remains a major part of the organization’s plans.
“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens said speaking with reporters following the first round of the NBA Draft. “I’m never going to predict the future. Every indication, everything I think about, over the last few years, has been building around those guys [Brown and Jayson Tatum]. You never know. But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he’s always been. He’s been amazing. He’s been an amazing teammate and a great person to be around…
“With all the rumor mill and all that stuff, and his name being splashed all over the place, that’s not easy. We certainly wanted to be as proactive and up-front with that as possible. I thought we had really good, candid conversations… There’s always gonna have to be get-togethers, there’s always gonna have to be things that you talk about.”
Brown has spent the summer hearing his name connected to multiple trade rumors despite coming off arguably the best season of his career. The Celtics star averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists while finishing sixth in MVP voting.
Stevens acknowledged that the constant speculation has not been easy for Brown and revealed that the two sides have had several conversations throughout the offseason.
Despite Stevens’ comments, teams around the league reportedly continue to monitor Brown’s situation. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said several organizations are preparing for the possibility that Brown could become available.
Any potential move would be complicated by Brown’s contract, which still has three years and approximately $183 million remaining.
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