Jayson Tatum injury just opened door to Celtics trading Jaylen Brown, other stars

Billy Heyen

Jayson Tatum injury just opened door to Celtics trading Jaylen Brown, other stars image

Everything changed for the Boston Celtics on Monday night.

For nearly three quarters, they looked like they'd even things up with the New York Knicks and be well on their way toward a real chance at defending their NBA championship.

But then midway through the fourth quarter, Jayson Tatum went down with a non-contact injury to his lower right leg. It was the kind of play that makes basketball fans everywhere fear the worst.

And it was also a moment that set off a firestorm among Celtics fans on social media. They went right past the Tatum injury and into offseason plans.

The common thread among dozens of posters? "Trade Jaylen Brown."

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Others advocated to be sure to get rid of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, too.

But Brown was the focal point.

He's the Robin to Tatum's Batman, and in this series against the Knicks, Brown has really struggled.

If Tatum winds up missing most or all of the 2025-26 NBA season, it's mostly a lost cause. The Celtics would still be good, but not championship good.

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If they ever wanted to pursue re-tooling, this would be the chance.

Brown could command multiple draft assets back. The Knicks traded five first-rounders to get Mikal Bridges. Who's to say Boston couldn't get a similar haul for Brown?

Porzingis and Holiday are less valuable but still tradeable, too.

The NBA world awaits confirmation on Tatum's injury, but if it is indeed the worst outcome, everything is on the table for the Celtics.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle