A new NBA rumor claims that the Boston Celtics are willing to talk about trades for every single player on their roster except injured superstar Jayson Tatum.
“Most recently, I’ve heard they’re open to trading anyone except for Tatum,” Yahoo Sports NBA insider Kevin O’Connor claimed on a new edition of his podcast.
The Celtics are heading into a massive salary cap reckoning this summer. Over the last couple of seasons, Boston has inked Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porzingis to lucrative new contracts in the hopes of winning back-to-back championships. However, those hopes were dashed by the Knicks in the semifinals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
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Why could Jaylen Brown get traded?
If they hold on to their current roster, they will have a payroll bill worth over $500 million for next season, including taxes. With a new ownership group taking over, that cost is just not feasible. Especially with Tatum expected to miss all of next season after rupturing his Achilles in Game 4 of their series against New York.
The expectations have long been that Holiday, Porzingis, and White would be the casualties of the front office’s payroll slashing this summer. However, moving what’s left on the $285 million pact Brown signed last year would go a long way toward getting Boston out of payroll hell in one fell swoop.
They would rather keep the twosome of Brown and Tatum for the rest of the decade. But the gifted guard has seen his name pop up in trade rumors previously. With next season likely to be a transition year for the franchise, moving Brown with his value at a high, and getting major assets back in a deal could be beneficial for the organization in the short and long term.
