After the Boston Celtics traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, some people speculated this meant Boston was going to enter a full rebuild. Shams Charania repeatedly said that the Celtics were getting massive offers for Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. This sparked plenty of unwanted rumors for Celtics fans. However, speaking after the draft, Celtics vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren emphatically shut down these trade rumors.
“There hasn’t been anything close to serious about trading them. I’m not sure where all this reporting came from. Those guys are key parts of our team, and we’re lucky to have them here.” Mike Zarren said when asked about the trade rumors surrounding Brown and White.
Zarren’s comments come as a sigh of relief to Celtics fans and should stop discussions about trading these two key pieces. Let’s further explore why keeping Brown and White is a no-brainer decision.
Celtics Shut Down Absurd Trade Rumors
The Trade Rumors Never Added Up
Yes, there’s probably significant interest around Brown and White. A return package would also be sizable; however, it would likely be centered around picks and/or young talent, which doesn’t benefit the Celtics. The other reason people speculated about possible Brown and White trades was money. However, after getting under the second apron, this doesn’t make as much sense. Notably, the Celtics saved $180 in luxury tax payments after trading Porziņģis and Holiday.
Furthermore, the Celtics will save more money with a Sam Hauser trade likely on the horizon. While the Celtics won’t be contenders in the 2025-26 season, they could be once Tatum returns in the following season. The Celtics’ short-term goal was to save money for next season, and they did that. Regardless, their long-term goal is to build another contender around Jayson Tatum when he is fully healthy in the 2026-27 season. That’s something you can’t do by trading Brown and/or White.
Brown and White are Crucial to the Celtics
Brown and White are essential to the Celtics’ success on both ends of the court. With Tatum injured, Brown will take over first-option responsibilities. When Tatum is healthy, JB is the league’s best second option. Offensively, Brown’s ability to relentlessly attack the rim and create his own shot is infinitely valuable. The Celtics’ offense is built around the Jays creating shots for themselves and others. Defensively, Brown is an elite on-ball stopper. Overall, the 2024 Finals MVP is one of the best two-way wings in the league and an irreplaceable part of the Celtics’ core.
White’s knockdown three-point shooting and connective playmaking are vital to the Celtics’ offense. Notably, White is coming off a career-best season, where he averaged 16.4 points and broke the Celtics franchise record for most threes in a season. Furthermore, he is an elite and versatile perimeter defender. Similar to Brown, White’s skill set and impact are impossible to replace.
Ultimately, the Celtics have a clear core with Tatum, Brown, and White. Trading Brown or White would be counterproductive for the Celtics’ future. Hopefully, Zarren’s comments shut down these nonsensical trade rumors once and for all.
Featured image: © David Butler II-Imagn Images
The post Celtics Shut Down Absurd Trade Rumors appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.