Celtics Send Jaylen Brown to Surprise Team in Blockbuster NBA Trade Idea

The Boston Celtics ended their 2024-25 campaign in disappointing fashion after being the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference. The Celtics got handled by the New York Knicks, losing 4-2, and things only got worse when superstar forward Jayson Tatum suffered a ruptured Achilles in Game 4.

Now, the Celtics are entering an interesting offseason where they will be looking to save money, but will still try to stay competitive with Tatum likely out for most of the 2025-26 season. With Tatum sidelined, the Celtics need Jaylen Brown to carry the offensive workload, but what if they feel he is not capable of being a first option?

The Celtics could look to trade away Jaylen Brown as part of their money-saving offseason, as the four-time All-Star is entering the second season of a gigantic five-year, $285 million contract.

The Celtics could look to dump Brown's contract onto a Sacramento Kings team desperate for a big change, but their potential return may not be worth it. Rohan Raman of the Atlanta Hawks on SI proposed a three-team trade that would send Brown to Sacramento.

Sacramento Kings Receive: Jaylen Brown, Baylor Scheierman

Boston Celtics Receive: DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, Jonas Valančiūnas, 2027 first-round pick (via SAC, unprotected), 2029 first-round pick (top-8 protected, via SAC), 2027 second-round pick (via ATL), 2031 second-round pick (via ATL)

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta

Jaylen Brown is one of the NBA's top 15-20 players, but he is being paid as if he is top five. While Brown is an undeniable All-Star and won NBA Finals MVP in 2024, and could be the type of star power the Kings need to add to their roster.

Of course, the Kings may not be giving up enough in this deal, even though 24-year-old forward Keegan Murray is a valuable asset. Murray, at his best, is one of the best 3-and-D wings in the NBA, but he has been far too inconsistent on offense through his three years in the league. Still, Murray is blossoming into a high-level defender, which is valuable for any team.

The Kings are expected to part ways with veteran forward DeMar DeRozan this offseason, regardless of the destination, but landing with the Celtics could be a good move for the six-time All-Star. Of course, the 35-year-old forward is slowly running out of gas, but he still has the skillset to help out Boston's offense while Tatum is sidelined. However, they would be in trouble if he were the first option for the entire season.

While Jaylen Brown is not a superstar by any means, the Kings are never truly in the market for a player with a higher star status than Brown. Landing the Celtics' 28-year-old forward as your core piece for the next four years would be a solid move for Sacramento, but it is extremely unlikely.