Just a year removed from winning the 18th NBA championship in franchise history, the Boston Celtics are facing quite the uphill battle. Jayson Tatum‘s torn Achilles will keep him on the sidelines for the foreseeable future. Fellow leaders Jrue Holiday and Al Horford are expected to open next season with the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors, respectively. Sure, they aren’t looking at 2025-26 as a lost cause, but they’re not in the most enviable position.
Perhaps cognizant of this, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown is seemingly open to playing for another franchise in the future.
Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Leaves Door Open To Playing For Hawks
Following Big Tigger Morning Show host Big Tigger’s question about if there’s any chance Brown could eventually be in a “hometown uniform,” the Marietta native tells him: “You never know.” As Big Tigger admits that it’s a sight that he would like to see, Brown follows up with: “Nah, I feel you. Nah, I think my grandma would too.”
Jaylen Brown discusses the possibility of playing for the Atlanta Hawks in the future
@BigTiggerShow pic.twitter.com/N4vs46vecQ
— Zach Langley (@langleyatl) September 10, 2025
Brown then acknowledges that he and his grandmother have discussed the possibility, before reiterating: “You never know. We’ll see.”
In an effort to avoid mischaracterizing these quotes, Brown never firmly stated that he held a sincere interest in leaving Boston or playing for the Atlanta Hawks. It’s easy to assume that he’d be willing to, especially with the state of the Celtics franchise and his connection to the Atlanta metropolitan area. That’s all it would be though, an assumption.
Jaylen Brown For Trae Young?
Brown is an intelligent individual.
Thus, he should be aware that the Celtics don’t have unconditional loyalty to him. More to the point, if they believe moving him would allow their franchise to survive what could be a significant decline from Tatum, they’ll entertain trade offers. For example, if the Hawks would be willing to trade a younger star and/or valuable draft assets for Brown, it could accelerate Boston’s re-tooling process.
In that same vein, if Brown’s goal is to compete for championships as a featured player, the Hawks aren’t the best option. The last time they won an NBA title was in 1958, when the franchise was in St. Louis. He may not know that bit of trivia but he does know Atlanta has only made the playoffs in three of the seven seasons Trae Young has been the face of the franchise.
Ironically, these circumstances are what could put the Celtics and Hawks on a collision course. Keep in mind that Atlanta is taking a wait-and-see approach with Young’s contract extension. By the end of the season, they could determine that Brown –an elite scorer and defender –fits their needs more than Young. Alternately, the Celtics could decide that Young is the scoring and playmaking engine they need to carry their offense.
© Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
The post Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Leaves Hometown Door Open appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.