There's been a ton of trade buzz surrounding the Boston Celtics for months at this point. The rumblings have grown louder and louder since March, and change seems inevitable this offseason. Boston is in quite a financial bind. They've got to find a way to shed $20 million in salary before the end of next season, if they want to avoid being a second-apron team for the third straight season.
With Jayson Tatum presumably being sidelined for the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign, it feels like no one, besides him, is untouchable. Even Jaylen Brown, Tatum's running-mate for his entire Celtics tenure, has been woven into the Wild West that is the trade rumor mill.
“The team I’d watch the closest with Jaylen Brown is probably the [San Antonio] Spurs,” Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated said Wednesday on NBC Sports Boston’s The Off C’season special. “Sure, I think (the Spurs would) love to make a run at Giannis, but do the Bucks ask for Stephon Castle? Like, is that on their wish list? And if it is, I can’t see San Antonio doing a deal like that.”
Mannix's speculation isn't the first time that Brown has been linked to the Spurs. Just last week, NBC Sports Boston's Chris Forsberg weighed in on a Jaylen-to-the-Spurs mock trade that'd been bouncing around online.
Even before the Celtics were eliminated from championship contention, ESPN's Marc J. Spears pointed to San Antonio as a potential trade partner for them. Spears didn't mention anyone specific, but felt that they'd be in the market for adding talent.
Now, all of this is purely speculation. There are no reported trade discussions happening between the Celtics and Spurs, or any other team, for that matter. Essentially, what's happening here is a big math problem.
What would a Jaylen Brown to San Antonio trade look like?
San Antonio keeps popping up in these rumors because they're one of the few teams with the financial flexibility, assets, and potential motivation to convince the Celtics to part ways with their longest-tenured player.
Most speculation is centered around San Antonio's No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. That, combined with their collection of young talent, could catch Boston's attention if they're looking to significantly reshape their roster.
Something like this could serve as the framework for a potential deal:
Boston receives:
- No. 2 pick, 2025
- No. 14 pick, 2025
- Devin Vassell
San Antonio receives:
- Jaylen Brown
Brooklyn receives:
- Harrison Barnes
- 2031 Rockets' second-round pick (via Celtics)
This trade would only make sense for the Celtics if they're truly committed to the idea of a complete restructuring of their roster. I won't go as far as to call it a rebuild because they'd still have Tatum on the team, but the supporting cast would largely look different.
By adding Vassell and two first-rounders this year, they'd have the chance to add young talent at a cheaper cost. With the league's financial penalties making their presence felt, having contributors on less-expensive contracts is likely going to become the new template for sustained success. Boston would be able to select Rutgers guard Dylan Harper (or Cooper Flagg) with the second overall pick, and then add another lottery pick to the roster as well.
They'd likely have both of those players on team-friendly deals (as long as they turn into high-level players) for eight seasons (four rookie-deal seasons, and then four rookie-extension seasons). This would make it very easy to surround Tatum with quality talent while also avoiding spending above the second-apron line.
Vassell would be a good get for Boston, too. He fits as a 3-and-D role player, at the very least, and still has upside at just 24 years old. Vassell averaged 16.3 points, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 36.8% from three on 6.7 tries for the Spurs last year.
With all of that being said, there are still a lot of "ifs" involved here. IF Harper pans out as a prospect, IF the 14th pick is included, and the Celtics hit on their selection, IF Vassell can contribute to winning at a high level. Those are a lot of uncertainties to have to worry about when trading away someone who's played a large role in an era riddled with Celtic success. Boston has never missed the playoffs since drafting Brown in 2016, and they've only failed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals twice when he's played in the playoffs.
