Wyc Grousbeck personally told Jaylen Brown he’s ‘not going anywhere’ before NBA trade deadline
"Jaylen Brown isn't going anywhere."
While rumors of a potential trade between Brooklyn and Boston involving Kevin Durant and Jaylen Brown swirled, Brown had assurance from Celtics governor Wyc Grousebeck that he would remain in Boston.
“Jaylen is not going anywhere,” Grousebeck said during an appearance on WEEI’s Greg Hill Show. “He knew that before the trade deadline because I told him personally.”
Days before the trade deadline, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith told viewers to watch out for a potential Brown for Durant swap.
It’s far from the first time such a trade has been reportedly discussed. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Celtics offered a package centered around Brown in exchange for Durant last summer but the deal fell through.
“We don’t talk about private stuff on the air about contracts or anything like that,” Grousbeck said. “What happens in the league is agents or other teams —I mean, Brad is on the phone with every team, definitely every week during the season. Just saying, ‘Who do you like? Who is playing well? Who do you like on our roster?’ He files it away in his mental database. That’s just that. They talk all the time about everything, it doesn’t mean a trade is proposed.”
Brooklyn eventually decided to reshape its core, dealing Kyrie Irving to Dallas and Durant to Phoenix. The Durant deal alone netted four first-round picks, along with NBA All-Defensive first-team selection Mikal Bridges, 2019 lottery pick Cam Johnson, and veteran forward Jae Crowder.
Boston acquired center Mike Muscala at the trade deadline, but kept their core intact. Brown is recovering from a facial fracture, and it doesn’t look like it will be too long before he returns, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said last week.
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