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NBA analyst: Celtics would get ‘massive’ value by trading Jaylen Brown, Derrick White
"If you're the Celtics, I would think you at least have to listen to that offer if Houston comes calling with that."
With Jayson Tatum potentially out for most (or all) of next season due to injury and massive luxury-tax penalties looming, the Celtics are facing a consequential offseason.
With Brad Stevens likely needing to cut payroll to lessen the incoming tax penalties set to inflate Boston’s payroll, the Celtics could look to deal roster regulars like Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7 million salary in 2025-26), Jrue Holiday ($32.4 million), and Sam Hauser ($10 million).
But with Tatum’s expected return to the court not set in stone and Boston potentially bracing for a bridge season, could Stevens and Boston’s top brass opt to uproot even more talent off their roster in hopes of retooling on the fly once Tatum returns?
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As painful as such a scenario might be the short term, Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin O’Connor noted on NBC Sports Boston this week that the Celtics could be poised to open a new contention window in short order if they entertain offers for Jaylen Brown and Derrick White.
“I think it’s massive. I do,” O’Connor said of Brown’s trade value on Wednesday’s “Early Edition.” “Think about Houston, for example. If they wanted to reunite Ime Udoka with Jaylen Brown and they don’t get Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“If the Houston Rockets on draft night come calling with the No. 10 pick, Fred VanVleet’s contract, which will only have one year left after his team option kicks in, and a bunch of other high-value future picks — they have Suns future first-rounders among other teams as well — if you’re the Celtics, I would think you at least have to listen to that offer if Houston comes calling with that.”
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O’Connor is not the first to map out the Rockets as a potential trade destination for Brown this offseason if the Celtics listened to offers.
Speaking on his podcast earlier this week, Bill Simmons mapped out a blockbuster trade that would send Brown and Jrue Holiday to Houston in exchange for VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
While Brown would seemingly net the highest return for Boston as an All-NBA talent in his prime, a 30-year-old guard under contract in White would also secure a significant haul.
With the Golden State Warriors already rumored as a potential trade partner in a White deal, O’Connor acknowledged that a win-now team like the Warriors might be willing to pay a high price for the sharpshooting guard.
“If the Golden State Warriors, if they were to call up and offer a Mikal Bridges-esque package — four first-round draft picks — for Derrick White, you gotta listen,” O’Connor said.
“And so, those are the paths I can’t stop thinking about with the Celtics, even though the easiest thing to do is to come back, Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown in the ’26-’27 season and roll it back and try to win again. That’s the easiest path for sure.”
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