It's been a busy week for the Boston Celtics, as they've parted with multiple key pieces in the early days of the offseason. As Brad Stevens continues to make alterations to the roster, one insider touched on the chatter regarding them moving on from some of their key players.
The Celtics' makeover began when they traded guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons. A few days later, Boston also moved on from Kristaps Porzingis by shipping him to the Atlanta Hawks in a multi-team deal.
In light of these trades, rumors began to swirl of the Celtics receiving offers for wings Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. However, insider Zach Lowe downplayed the degree to which teams were pursuing this duo. While on his podcast, he touched on the unlikeliness of either player winding up on a new team this offseason.
"I'm sure they were getting calls," Lowe said. "I'm not sure how many calls they were getting. I got a little pushback on the idea that the phones were just like Dumars-level ringing off the hook...I think you'd have to bowl Boston over and be like this is like we're having a gap year and you've made it so beyond worth our while that we just have to do this trade."
Houston theoretically has the juice to make a play for Jaylen Brown, but will the Celtics take the offer?@ZachLowe_NBA on the smoke behind the Brown and Derrick White rumors. pic.twitter.com/dST9OYVHKO
— The Ringer (@ringer) June 26, 2025
Boston is bracing itself for a minor closure in their window of contention. After suffering an Achilles injury in the playoffs, Jayson Tatum will be out for most of the 2026 campaign. In light of this, the Celtics have shed salaries to drastically lessen their luxury tax bill. However, making such a drastic move like trading Brown or White makes little sense for the front office.
When Tatum is back to 100%, the Celtics will immediately re-enter the title conversation. Boston knows this, which is why it would take a massive offer for the front office to deal either player. Brown has proven to be a reliable co-star for Tatum, and White has thrived in Boston since being traded there. Though they are an expensive trio with their new contracts, the results they've produced are more than enough for the Celtics to keep this portion of the team's core intact.