Why Knicks should take hard look at acquiring Jaylen Brown from Celtics
After a second round exit in the 2023 playoffs, the Knicks are back to the drawing board as we head into the offseason.
For a long time, the Knicks have possessed the flexibility to make trades and net a major superstar. In theory, players such as Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard have come up in trade discussions, while the Knicks nearly struck a deal with the Utah Jazz for Donovan Mitchell before they were outbid by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
No one knows when the next big superstar will be available via trade, but the rumors around the availability of Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown have already started after Boston’s stunning dismissal in the Eastern Conference Finals at the hands of the Miami Heat.
Naturally, as one of the teams still with a boatload of draft picks and young prospects, the Knicks make sense as a potential trade partner if Brown was ever to be traded.
If Boston ever decided to move on from Brown, would it make sense for the Knicks to go after him?
If New York was ever able to pry Brown from the hands of its division rival, a trade would require multiple assets going back to Boston. Brown is the prototype of what teams are looking for. He’s a two-way wing able to create his own shot off the dribble on offense while also being able to defend multiple positions. Plus, he’s young – he turns 27 early next season.
Players like that are hard to find and would require a lot in a trade. But if Brown was available it would be something the Knicks should pursue.
Brown had a special regular season, making his second All-Star team as well as the All-NBA Second Team. In 67 games with the Celtics this season, he averaged 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists as Boston had the second-best record in the NBA.
However, despite that success, Brown is coming off what might be the worst game and playoff series of his career. In an “all the chips are down” moment, the All-Star committed a damaging eight turnovers while shooting just 8-for-23. Overall, Brown shot just 7-for-43 from three (16.3 percent), averaged just 19.0 points and had more turnovers (25) than assists (24).
The Conference Finals and last game were a stain on what was an overall strong playoff run for Brown.
In the first two playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers, Brown averaged 24.6 points on 54.1 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from the three-point line.
After making the All-NBA team, Brown is eligible for a supermax extension, meaning he can re-sign with the Celtics for five years and $290.3 million this summer. If Brown signs the supermax extension, he would be ineligible to be traded for at least one year.
If the Celtics trade Brown, he would be unable to sign a supermax contract, though he still would be able to sign a four-year deal worth roughly $184.5 million if he hits free agency in the summer of 2024. That’s a significant financial difference.
The scenarios provide a fork in the road for the Celtics and Brown. Either keep the Jayson Tatum and Brown duo together for an eventual whopping $600 million+ in salary commitments long-term or move Brown for another star and try to rebuild a championship contender through an alternate path.
For the Knicks, it’s clear they’ve built a quality rotation capable of competing in the playoffs. Jalen Brunson proved himself as worthy of being a prime-time offensive playmaker and scorer against playoff-level defenses. After him, concerns about consistent production from Julius Randle and RJ Barrett in the playoffs still linger.
Though Brown has had his own struggles at times in the playoffs, there’s still room for him to grow and he would be an upgrade for the Knicks if paired up with Brunson. The pursuit of Brown should be something the franchise takes a hard look at.
