The New Orleans Pelicans fan base just had a bombshell dropped on them by NBA insider Jake Fischer, after he reported on Tuesday that the Pelicans are interested in Jaylen Brown. If Joe Dumars could land a player of Brown's caliber in just his second offseason in charge, his goals of making this team a perennial playoff team would be incredibly achievable.
The Boston Celtics superstar forward is coming off a career year, where he was in MVP conversations while Jayson Tatum missed the majority of the season due to an Achilles injury. After a disappointing round one exit, rumors started to circulate about whether Celtics GM Brad Stevens would entertain selling high on the 29-year-old Brown.
Following Fischer's report, Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson reported on a potential trade package to get Brown to New Orleans, saying that everything is on the table except for two players. The two players off limits in any trade talks are rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.
Scoop went on to present what a potential deal between Bean Town and the Big Easy would look like, with the general framework starting at Trey Murphy III, Dejounte Murray, and heavy draft capital. While that may feel like an overpay, it's important to remember that to be a real contender, you need a true alpha, No. 1, superstar, and Brown is exactly that.
Trading for Brown isn't the type of opportunity New Orleans can pass on
This past season, JB led the Celtics to a 56-win season on the heels of averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.4 stocks (steals + blocks) per game.
Those are legit MVP-type stats, and that type of talent and scoring ability the Pelicans didn't just miss last season when trying to close games, but have never seen in the franchise's history. He is a bona fide two-way star who has led a team to a championship in 2024 when the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks, and Brown took home Finals MVP. He gets to the rim at will, has a great in-between game, can space the floor, initiate the offense, rebound at a high level, and lock up opposing teams' best players.
The pushback regarding the Pelicans trading for Brown stems from three factors: age/timeline, value, and his contract. Brown is set to turn 30 early in the 2026-27 season, and is in year three of a five-year $285+ million contract. That can be daunting, as Brown could simply get hurt and never be the same player, leaving New Orleans stuck with this massive contract.
Then factor in the expected value of two core pieces on semi-team-friendly deals in Murray and Murphy III, as well as a treasure chest of picks, and you may get the heebie-jeebies.
My rebuttal to all this is simple. At no point has New Orleans been a free-agent destination and likely never will be, despite the city and people being A1, so why not go get a top-10 player in the league? Because he doesn't fit the timeline? Are we thinking of the same timeline? Because every time Joe Dumars speaks, he reminds us that they are trying to be competitive next season.
I'll throw it out there, I don't see Brad Stevens leaving this trade without Yves Missi, as the Celtics center rotation needs a boost. But let's say it's the three first-round picks, Murray, Murphy III, and Missi, that still leaves the Pelicans with a good supporting cast.
Fears at the one, Herb Jones at the two, Brown at the three, Zion Williamson at the four, and preferably a center from free agency at the five, if not Derik Queen. This team would still have a second unit of Saddiq Bey, Bryce McGowens, Jordan Poole, and likely a few middle-tier free agents.
Trading for Brown isn't going to be this flawless thing or leave the Pelicans with an incredibly balanced roster, at least right away. However, what it does do is give them a legit superstar and take the light off Zion, who has been pushed into a No. 1 option role his entire career.
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