Celtics’ Star Jaylen Brown’s Future in Question

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Jaylen Brown being guarded by the Heat’s Jimmy Butler

The 2022-23 playoffs served yet another disappointing ending to the Boston Celtics and the Jaylen Brown/Jayson Tatum duo. Six years of playoff contention between Boston’s dynamic duo of wings, along with several key depth pieces, has thus far not led to a championship. Heading into the 2023 offseason, the biggest decision the Celtics must make is on the contract situation of Jaylen Brown, who after an impressive regular season that included an all-star appearance, all-NBA second-team selection, and finishing ninth in the league in scoring, saw his performance dip significantly in the playoffs.

Despite seeing an increase in minutes during the playoffs from 35.9 to 37.6 per game, Brown averaged 22.7 points per game (PPG) and 5.6 rebounds per game (RPG) compared to his 26.6 PPG and 6.9 RPG during the regular season. Although he did have several stretches during games throughout the playoffs where he would play extremely well for a few minutes or a quarter at a time, it never seemed to translate into a complete game of dominance. This was especially highlighted in Boston’s most crucial game of the playoffs: Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals where Jayson Tatum rolled his ankle in Boston’s very first offensive possession. A hobbled Tatum could not maintain his scoring prowess in that game, forcing Brown to become the first option. He, unfortunately, could not deliver for the Celtics as he would end the game with just 19 points on 8/23 shooting from the field, 1/9 from three-point range, and a whopping eight turnovers. His weaknesses' in dribbling and ball handling were on full display as well, with the Heat repeatedly capitalizing on him losing the ball off the dribble.

So considering his performance in these playoffs when it mattered most, the Celtics must take it into account when considering his contract situation. Brown currently has one more year left on his current deal, making him an unrestricted free agent in 2024. What makes this situation complicated is that Brown is eligible to receive a supermax extension this offseason. This leaves the Celtics with essentially three options: extend him to the supermax, ride out his contract and push the decision out, or trade him. Let’s take a look at each option and consider why or why not the Celtics may opt for each one.

Option 1: Extending Brown

The argument in favor of extending Brown is quite simple given what Brown accomplished this season as an individual player as well as the Celtics’ team success in recent years. After all, since Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have been on the team together starting in the 2017-18 season, the Celtics rank third in total regular season wins in that span. The Celtics have been relatively successful in the playoffs as well, making the playoffs each of their six years together, making the eastern conference finals four times, including a trip to the finals in 2022 where they fell two games shy of winning it all. Everyone knows the saying: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The Celtics will likely be extremely hesitant to break up a duo that’s made them one of the most successful teams in the league since they have been together. However, for one of the most iconic franchises in the history of sports, playoff runs simply don’t cut it. Boston lives for championships. Even surrounding Tatum and Brown with plenty of solid depth pieces has yet to net the Celtics a ring, despite them having a golden opportunity this season when playing against a shorthanded eighth-seed Miami Heat with a chance to go to the Finals on their home floor. Instead of closing the deal on being the first team to ever come back from down 0-3 in a series, Brown and the Celtics floundered. This, along with the numerous mental mistakes and blown leads, caused the Celtics to suffer throughout the season and playoffs. Changes have to be made. The changes must start with the guy who came up woefully short when a trip to the finals was on the line.

Option 2: Trading Brown

Trading Jaylen Brown may be an intriguing option for Boston if the right package is offered.

With Brown only having one year left on his contract, trading Brown can be considered a safe option to ensure they do not overpay him while also making sure they do not let him walk for nothing next offseason. There have been rumors about the availability of other stars like Damian Lillard as well, which could make for some trade packages that Brad Stevens might pick up the phone for. But on the other hand, considering the Celtics’ aforementioned recent success, hitting the panic button is not the best move, at least not right now. The Celtics have plenty of time to let Brown improve further during the offseason, let next season play out, and then decide to extend him, or move on from him.

Option 3: Make the Decision Later

I think one of the most important aspects to consider is that the Celtics do not have to be in a rush to decide exactly how they want to handle the Jaylen Brown situation. They don’t even have to do it this offseason at all. The Celtics can let the last year of his current contract play out, see how the 2023 season goes, then either trade him midseason or offer him the supermax next offseason. The only potential downsides to this decision would be if a trade does not get done and the Celtics underperform in the playoffs again. This may prompt Brown to leave for nothing in free agency. Or, if Brown underperforms next season, the Celtics would not get nearly as much back for him in the trade as they would right now. However, Brown's underperforming may justify Brown not getting the supermax, giving Boston more cap space for additional depth.

My take:

All in all, I first and foremost hope the Celtics make the wrong decision, whatever it is since I am a Lakers fan. But in all seriousness, I believe option three of letting the offseason and at least part of next season play out is the best move in this case. Boston’s end-of-season results warrant changes, but not an entire roster shake-up. Jaylen Brown and coach Joe Mazzulla will have a whole off-season to improve their play and game plan next season. Perhaps adding a true center, an offensive game plan that isn’t as heavily reliant on shooting threes, and improved ball handling from Brown can put the Celtics over the edge. In that case, Brown can be extended next offseason, or even during the season. Or he can be traded if next season does not start as hoped. But ultimately, if I were a Boston fan, I would trust Brad Stevens to make the right choice.