Rockets’ Godfather Jaylen Brown trade offer that would force Celtics to consider blockbuster

The Houston Rockets were the centerpiece of the biggest trade in NBA history last year, a seven-team deal that landed them Kevin Durant. Even after landing one of the best players in NBA history, Houston wasn’t able to get past the first round of the playoffs. The Rockets are clearly all in on win-now mode, though, so reports are already swirling about who they could trade for next. The team is one of four teams linked to Jaylen Brown, and considering his championship history, he could be the missing piece that gets the Rockets over the top.

Of course, though, convincing the Boston Celtics to trade away Brown after his career year won’t be easy. With Jayson Tatum dealing with an achilles injury, Brown stepped up as the Celtics’ best player in what was supposed to be a gap year for the team. Boston exceeded expectations and earned the two-seed in the Eastern Conference, so they don’t need to get crazy and make a franchise-altering move this offseason. That means it would take a huge haul for the Rockets to land Brown. So, what could a Celtics-Rockets trade look like?

Rockets’ trade proposal for Jaylen Brown

Houston Rockets receive: Jaylen Brown

Boston Celtics receive: Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, three first-round picks

Even after making a move for Durant, the Rockets still have plenty of depth, young talent, and draft capital at their disposal. Trading more of it for another aging veteran is risky, but if the Rockets’ lone goal is winning a championship before Durant’s retirement, then mortgaging the future for a Brown trade would make sense.

This trade proposal sees the Rockets depart with Reed Sheppard, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jabari Smith Jr., and three first-round picks. Sheppard was drafted third overall just two years ago, and he flashed serious offensive potential as a sophomore. Smith is a fellow former number three pick who has an inside-outside game, and Finney-Smith is a solid defender.

Rumors have long swirled that the Celtics may one day break up the Tatum-Brown duo. This is a trade package grand enough to potentially make it happen. The influx of draft capital would help Boston build for the future and continue to get their finances in check, and all three of the role players coming over would fit the Celtics’ system well.

For the Rockets, Brown would be a perfect fit, too. In fact, Brown would fit on just about any roster in the NBA because of his versatility. The Cal product is an elite point of attack defender. He can also score from all three levels. Brown’s 28.7 point-per-game average, which ranked fourth in the NBA, proved he can be a top option.

Brown might even form a better wing pairing with Durant than he does with Tatum. Both of the current Celtics forwards need the ball in their hands, which leads to too much ball watching when the other player operates in isolation. Durant, meanwhile, can work more as a catch-and-shoot threat, meaning Brown could spend more time on ball in Houston.

In addition to the Rockets, the Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, and New Orleans Pelicans have reported interest in Brown. Houston has competition if they are set in stone on adding the 2024 Finals MVP. With teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder continuously getting better, though, staying stagnant will do nothing for teams looking to contend in the Western Conference.

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