How Jaylen Brown’s Recent Play Could Impact The Boston Celtics’ Potential Interest In James Harden

James Harden reportedly is now prepared to affix the Celtics through commerce, however that doesn’t essentially imply the curiosity is mutual. In accordance with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, nonetheless, Boston is amongst a number of groups to have had current discussions with the Houston Rockets.

“I believe there are nonetheless a number of groups speaking with Houston about James Harden, Wojnarowski stated Friday on ESPN’s NBA Countdown. “And amongst groups who’ve had conversations, and even current conversations, are each Brooklyn and Boston. And I believe Houston feels proper now that any deal they do for James Harden may want to incorporate a 3rd group. They’re out looking for an amazing younger participant that they’ll herald as a part of a commerce. Any deal for Harden could also be complicated, might contain three, even 4 groups.”

If Boston have been making an attempt to accumulate Harden, Houston would doubtless need Jaylen Brown and Marcus Good as a part of the bundle in return. Having one or two extra groups be a part of the deal actually might play in Boston’s favor, because it has the potential to offer Houston with extra belongings. However let’s assume Brown is a should for Houston in these conversations — would Boston be prepared to half methods with the ever-improving 24-year-old?

Brown’s play via the Celtics’ first two matchups of the 2020-21 season ought to impression their thought course of in commerce talks if it hasn’t already. Brown has run the pick-and-roll with endurance, management and confidence for prolonged stretches via two video games, one thing that appeared far-fetched just some years in the past. As his playmaking skill continues to develop, so does his ceiling, and that ought to make Boston much more cautious when his title comes up in commerce discussions.

Brown has seemed super as a ball-handler to this point this season, which opens up a ton of offensive flexibility for the Celtics. If Boston was involved about its non-Jayson Tatum minutes this season, Brown’s development with the ball positively has helped reduce these worries. On one Christmas Day possession, he comfortably maneuvered via the Brooklyn protection with nice tempo, drew the eye across the free-throw line and made a phenomenal skip go to the nook.

Outdoors of his unbelievable development as a playmaker, Brown has continued to develop his scoring bundle, showcasing extra of that towards the Nets with a couple of excessive floaters. His contact has gotten higher annually, in addition to his physique management when ending via site visitors. He’s rapidly changing into the entire bundle for Boston, and that’s additional motive for pause throughout these conversations with Houston.

A participant’s ceiling typically turns into comparatively clear by yr 5. For Brown, nonetheless, every season appears to convey one other component of his sport, pushing that mark larger and better. He’s constantly made leaps in every of his NBA seasons, and the Celtics must be extremely inspired by that.

So sure, based on Wojnarowski, the Celtics have had “current conversations” with the Rockets concerning Harden. They’d be silly to not do their due diligence after being added to the famous person’s most popular vacation spot listing. However Boston was excessive on Brown following final season, they usually’re doubtless even larger after his first two performances of the 2020-21 marketing campaign. They have been most likely hesitant to commerce Brown then, and that feeling needs to be amplified proper now.

The underside line is that Brown has thrived with added accountability this season. He appears to be like snug with the ball in his hand and has been in a position to totally management the sport on that finish of the ground for numerous stretches. Does Boston actually need to half methods with him and different core items for Harden? For my part, that wouldn’t be a clever transfer.

Harden is an unbelievable scorer, however his strategy to the final month and the danger of dropping him to free company in two seasons seem to be massive crimson flags when contemplating mortgaging the group’s future. Brown’s fast progress makes that future even brighter, and he’s nonetheless including parts to his sport every day. It doesn’t make a lot sense in any respect for the Celtics to half methods with him. That turned even clearer during the last 4 days.