DHJ Quick Take: Celtics Stay Busy, Listening on Jaylen Brown and Derrick White
Boston is positioned to remain active in the trade market with or without Giannis Antetokounmpo, fielding inquiries about Brown and White more openly than in past summers.
- What’s Boston exploring? The Celtics have looked into moving up from their No. 27 pick and are listening on both Brown and White.
- Why now? Financial pressure under the second apron, with Jayson Tatum rehabbing an Achilles injury, has put even high-salary players in play.
- What would it take to move Brown? It’s hard to see him dealt unless the return brings Giannis Antetokounmpo to Boston.
- What’s next? The first round of the NBA Draft is Tuesday, 7 p.m. CT, ABC/ESPN, with the second round Wednesday, June 24.
The Boston Celtics are positioned to stay active on the trade market with or without Giannis Antetokounmpo, and they’re listening on Jaylen Brown and Derrick White more intently than ever, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
Fischer reported that Boston has explored moving up from its No. 27 pick in Tuesday’s draft, and while neither Brown nor White is being actively shopped, the front office has fielded inquiries on both core pieces with more openness than in past summers.
With Jayson Tatum working back from an Achilles injury that cost him most of last season, Boston faces real pressure to trim salary under the league’s second-apron rules, which has pulled even its highest-paid players into the conversation.
Jaylen Brown‘s Market Hinges on a Giannis Antetokounmpo Deal
Fischer reported that the Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, and Houston Rockets have shown interest in Brown for weeks, but it’s hard to see him actually moved unless a deal brings Antetokounmpo to Boston.
Brown, 29, is signed through 2028-29 on the supermax extension he inked in 2023, and that salary complicates any framework. The Celtics have surfaced in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, though Milwaukee’s interest in building around Brown is viewed as limited.
Derrick White Draws Interest From the Minnesota Timberwolves
Cutting ties with White would register as a surprise, Fischer noted, given that the 31-year-old is a beloved figure in the organization whose two-way backcourt play has kept him in annual All-Star contention.
Still, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported Friday that the Minnesota Timberwolves are interested in White, and a swap sending him to Minnesota for Rudy Gobert would be a clean salary match. Fischer added that Boston has inquired about Gobert before, most recently at February’s trade deadline.
Whether any of it leads to a deal before the draft remains to be seen, but the Celtics’ willingness to listen marks a shift for a roster that won a championship only two years ago.
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