The Boston Celtics knew as soon as Jayson Tatum went down in the playoffs that the 2025-26 season might have to serve as a year for them to recalibrate. However, given the state of the Eastern Conference, the excellent coaching from Joe Mazulla, and the talent remaining on the roster, they are still in the thick of the playoff race.
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Jaylen Brown Isn’t Sure About a Future With the Celtics
At the center of it all, though, has been Jaylen Brown, who may have taken an even bigger leap as the number one option than most could have anticipated. However, in a candid interview, he remained uncertain about his future, especially with the organization that he’d spent nearly a decade of his career with.
The third overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, it took Brown a year to carve out a niche for himself on the roster. However, since then, he has been an invaluable part of the roster, as they’ve built a perennial contender in the Eastern Conference that won the championship in 2024.
Throughout the process, however, he has been a part of numerous trade rumors whenever star players have become available. Names like Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant were floated around as possible targets for the Celtics over the years. Each time, without fail, Brown’s name was at the top of the list of potential packages that Boston would have to offer to get one of these superstars. However, the team has refrained from moving on from him, and it’s led them to a championship.
Still, the rumors haven’t died down entirely. With Tatum scheduled to be out for the season, many believed the new ownership group could tear it down, with Brown among the biggest assets they could offer in a potential trade. Once again, they stood pat, and he’s responded with the best season of his career. Averaging far and away a career high of 29.3 points per game (previous highest was 26.6 in 2022-23), he’s also at a career high 4.9 assists per game.
Thanks to his exploits, the Celtics are 15-11 for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, with the Toronto Raptors within striking distance of the third seed. But the former NBA Champion doesn’t feel entirely secure in his role. During an appearance on an internet personality, DDG’s stream, Brown was open about where he stands with the organization. “In our league, it’s a business. It’s not up to me. Sometimes it’s me, sometimes it’s not.”
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Continuing, he added, “They might want to move in another direction one day, and they might force you to — like, you’re not playing me, or you’re not trying to pay me — so I’m going to go somewhere else where they are.”
However, he did make it clear that the decision to move on isn’t entirely his choice. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t f*ck with the city, or that I wouldn’t mind being here for my whole career. But you know, anything can happen at any given moment.” Unfortunately, as he alluded to, the league’s history doesn’t work in his favor. “They traded Luka, they traded Kevin Durant, they traded some all-time Hall of Famers. So you fall in line with that if it comes down to it.”
Currently, the way he’s playing makes it difficult to envision a scenario where the Celtics part ways with him. Firmly a part of the MVP discussion, his production makes him invaluable to the roster. But, as the NBA has shown multiple times before, anything can happen in this league.