Would you move Brown for a top 3 pick?

[Ed Monix]

I am a huge fan of Brown and wish he could spend his entire career as a Celtic, he is a great representative and should be a future captain. But given the lack of talent on our team and how locked in we are to our core, I am fearful we could become another solid team that hovers over the 4-8 seeds and loses early in the playoffs.

We may be in a fortunate position as teams like Rockets and Timberwolves could possibly land a top pick and then will lose theirs the following season (if it doesn’t convey this year). Given this and how both teams have impatient ownership wanting to win and have no incentive to tank the following season, Brown (locked in to a long term deal) + role players may peak their interest. Another team like the Kings have gone over a decade without making the playoffs and if they miss out on Cade Cunningham, could be willing to trade their pick for a Cali kid in Jaylen.

My curiosity is whether you believe someone in this draft is better then Brown and if you would be willing to slightly hit re-set on rebuilding.

An example would be if hypothetically Kings get the 2nd or 3rd pick and don’t want to wait and develop the player a deal could be;

Kings: Brown, Thompson, Smart, Nesmith, 2021 Celtics pick, 2023 Celtics pick,

Celtics: Suggs or Mobley, Haliburton, Barnes

Kings: Thompson, Holmes, Brown, Hield, Fox

This is just an off the cuff example

[Ed Monix]

Another possibility is by removing a max player in Brown, we get a cost controlled rookie contract and free future space for Beal being a free agent in 2022 (player option).

[Ed Monix]

I have slightly edited the poll to reflect more options, please let me know if there is something else pertinent that I missed.

[Celtics Mike]

No Jaylen Brown improves every year and hasn't reached his ceiling
He is an untouchable core of this Celtics team

[wdleehi]

No.   You hope the player at the top of the draft becomes an all-star level player.



Brown is the all-star level player (playing on a cheaper contract)

[greg683x]

No.   You hope the player at the top of the draft becomes an all-star level player.



Brown is the all-star level player (playing on a cheaper contract)

Pretty much this.  The odds are greater that the player you draft will NOT be as good as Jaylen than the odds that we’d get a better player.

Why the fear that we’re gonna become a perpetual 4-8 seed? I know the team hasn’t played well this year but this team has been consistently a top 4 seed

[Roy H.]

No way.  He’s a young, high-character, well-liked all-star.  What are the chances that a top three pick ever becomes as good as JB?

[Kernewek]

What are the chances that a top three pick ever becomes as good as JB?

Presuming this is rhetorical but the odds are low. From a talent evaluation perspective, the draft is a lottery (pun intended).

[Jvalin]

I'd trade Brown only for Cade Cunningham.

No.   You hope the player at the top of the draft becomes an all-star level player.

Brown is the all-star level player (playing on a cheaper contract)

The hope for Cunningham is he'll become a HOFer. He'll be locked on a bargain contract for the next 4 years. He'll be under team control for the next 8-9 years. If I were Danny, CC would be my #1 priority going into the offseason.

[Roy H.]

I'd trade Brown only for Cade Cunningham.

No.   You hope the player at the top of the draft becomes an all-star level player.

Brown is the all-star level player (playing on a cheaper contract)

The hope for Cunningham is he'll become a HOFer.

That was the hope for Fultz, too.  Nothing is guaranteed.

[wdleehi]

I'd trade Brown only for Cade Cunningham.

No.   You hope the player at the top of the draft becomes an all-star level player.

Brown is the all-star level player (playing on a cheaper contract)

The hope for Cunningham is he'll become a HOFer.

At this point, Brown has shown more in the way of becoming a HOF if he keeps improving his game like he has. 

[Celtics2021]

I'd trade Brown only for Cade Cunningham.

No.   You hope the player at the top of the draft becomes an all-star level player.

Brown is the all-star level player (playing on a cheaper contract)

The hope for Cunningham is he'll become a HOFer.

Given Brown's trajectory, I would place a wager on him becoming a HOFer before I would on Cunningham.

[Kernewek]

I'd trade Brown only for Cade Cunningham.

No.   You hope the player at the top of the draft becomes an all-star level player.

Brown is the all-star level player (playing on a cheaper contract)

The hope for Cunningham is he'll become a HOFer.

That was the hope for Fultz, too.  Nothing is guaranteed.

Going a little further back, Remember when Wiggins and Parker were two extremely safe top picks that were safe bets to be the next iteration of LeBron & Carmelo?

[Ed Monix]

No way.  He’s a young, high-character, well-liked all-star.  What are the chances that a top three pick ever becomes as good as JB?

I completely understand, Brown is one of my favourite players in the league.

My rational for broaching the subject is that our core is locked in for the foreseeable future as Walker is a sunk cost till 2022 perhaps 23. We have no real assets left to acquire a star player either, our bench is perhaps one of the weakest in the league.

By moving Brown this off-season we could get a lopsided return from a desperate bunch of teams needing to be good next season.

With a trade we could get back a high level functional role player eg. Haliburton + Evan Mobley would is minimum a centre who can pass, shoot threes and protect the rim (remember we need to go through Embiid or Bam) and have a shot at getting Beal in free agency with the cap space opened up.

So with the right luck, Brown + parts would turn into Mobley, Haliburton, Beal...to go with Tatum.

Yes it's risky but it was a layered idea that i thought would be an interesting discussion

[Jvalin]

I'd trade Brown only for Cade Cunningham.

No.   You hope the player at the top of the draft becomes an all-star level player.

Brown is the all-star level player (playing on a cheaper contract)

The hope for Cunningham is he'll become a HOFer.

That was the hope for Fultz, too.  Nothing is guaranteed.

Danny traded down from #1 to #3 cause he trusted his gut. I fully believe Cunningham is our best bet to acquire a generational talent/future top 5 player. Obviously, it would be a risky move. The Tatum trade was a risky move as well. If we were a legit contending team, we wouldn't be having this duscussion. Given that we are hovering around .500, imo it would be worth the risk.

The way I see it, Cunningham will become a way better player than Brown. Probably better than Tatum as well. I believe he's a surefire future superstar (barring injuries).