O’Connor: Brown, White have ‘massive’ trade value if C’s make a move originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
A complicated financial situation could force the Boston Celtics to make difficult decisions this summer. Aside from Jayson Tatum, who will miss most of next season recovering from a ruptured Achilles, seemingly anyone on the roster could be traded to achieve financial flexibility.
Boston must shed more than $20 million in salary to avoid the restrictive penalties associated with being in the second apron of the luxury tax. That means they may have to move at least one rotation player from the championship core this offseason.
Although Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are set to be the faces of the Celtics while Tatum misses time, even they aren’t safe from being dealt. Trading either star would immediately solve Boston’s financial dilemma and would likely garner a significant haul.
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports joined Wednesday’s Early Edition to discuss what a Brown or White trade could look like.
“I think it’s massive. I do,” O’Connor said of Brown’s trade value. “Think about Houston, for example. If they wanted to reunite Ime Udoka with Jaylen Brown and they don’t get Giannis Antetokounmpo. If the Houston Rockets on draft night come calling with the No. 10 pick, Fred VanVleet’s contract, which will only have one year left after his team option kicks in, and a bunch of other high-value future picks — they have Suns future first-rounders among other teams as well — if you’re the Celtics, I would think you at least have to listen to that offer if Houston comes calling with that.”
As for White, the do-it-all guard has already been the subject of trade rumors with the Golden State Warriors as a potential suitor. O’Connor sees such a move as a real possibility if the Warriors send C’s president of basketball operations Brad Stevens a serious offer.
“If the Golden State Warriors, if they were to call up and offer a Mikal Bridges-esque package — four first-round draft picks — for Derrick White, you gotta listen,” O’Connor said.
“And so, those are the paths I can’t stop thinking about with the Celtics, even though the easiest thing to do is to come back, Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown in the ’26-’27 season and roll it back and try to win again. That’s the easiest path for sure.”
Brown or White donning a different uniform next season would be jarring. Both have cemented themselves in Celtics lore, with Brown earning NBA Finals MVP honors and White stepping up as one of the game’s best two-way guards since joining Boston in 2022. But given the financial situation, and the uncertain state of the team following Tatum’s injury, Stevens and new team owner Bill Chisholm may have no choice but to make an uncomfortable move involving a fan favorite.
Watch the full Early Edition segment with O’Connor in the video below, or watch on YouTube:
