Across the NBA, front offices are wishing upon an Eastern Conference star, wondering whether Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo or Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown will become available after what were two decidedly different regular season campaigns.
Antetokounmpo, a two-time league MVP, has been worn down by his team’s doomed roster decisions. Ironically, the Bucks have actually been trying to help the Greek Freak win another championship. However, though moves like trading Jrue Holiday for Damian Lillard or Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma were made in good faith, they turned out to be disastrous. Thus, Antetokounmpo’s confidence in the Bucks has been weathered, if not eroded.
Brown, who won NBA Finals MVP (and Eastern Conference Finals MVP) back in 2024, was given an opportunity he hasn’t had his entire career. With co-star Jayson Tatum needing months to recover from a torn Achilles, Brown became the Celtics’ first option on offense. Not for one game, or for one month, but for the entire season. Tatum’s late-season return predictably threw a wrench in the plan for him to win regular season MVP though. Though Boston has had tremendous success with the Brown-Tatum duo, it’s quite possible that Brown has outgrown his Robin role.
The Kings Need To Get In On The Jaylen Brown Trade Talks
As long as Tatum is on the roster, Brown likely won’t become Boston’s focal point. The fact of the matter is that the Celtics have long since settled on propping Tatum up as the face of the franchise and as their best player. Of course, Brown and Tatum will say that everything between them is fine. However, human nature suggests that there’s much that’s been unspoken, especially among two individuals in an inherently competitive sport and league.
Knowing this, there are multiple franchises that should try to pry Brown out of Beantown.
Among those in need of a high-octane two-way All-Star, the Sacramento Kings stick out like a sore thumb.
Sacramento Has Stars, What They Need Is A Sun
During the 2025-26 season, the Kings’ personnel did include several players who have been named an All-Star at least twice. Russell Westbrook, a nine-time All-Star and 2017 NBA MVP, had the most accomplished career among them. DeMar DeRozan, a six-time All-Star and top-20 in career points, has also been pretty successful. A three-time All-Star, Domantas Sabonis is the player his father (Arvydas Sabonis) dreamed of being. A two-time All-Star and two-time Slam Dunk Champion, Zach LaVine has become one of the most recognizable names among NBA fans.
Amazingly, despite this quartet having 20 All-Star selections between them, none of them managed to average 20+ points per game in 2025-26. Due to suboptimal age, agility or effort (which aren’t mutually exclusive), they’re all untrustworthy defenders too. As a result, Sacramento recorded a 22-60 record, their win percentage (.268) the fourth-worst in franchise history. Since 1960, the only personnel the Kings had that performed worse was their 2008-09 roster, Sacramento going 17-65 while led by Kevin Martin and John Salmons (who both played under 55 games).
So, it suffices to say that the Kings are in need of a serious upgrade. Of course, with the seventh overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and a few fascinating young players, they could just try to rebuild organically. However, their veteran-laden roster is full of stars, just ones that need to orbit around one that’s burning much brighter.
Why can’t their sun be Brown, who averaged 28.7 points per game in 2025-26 and has long been regarded as one of the league’s top perimeter defenders?
Making The Trade
If Brown is traded to the Kings, these are the most feasible parameters: Brown and a 2030 first-round pick are sent to Sacramento in exchange for LaVine, Maxime Raynaud, Devin Carter and the seventh overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Plug & Play -> Put On The Hook -> Take Off The Books
Though he holds a career scoring average of 20.7 points per game, there’s no guarantee that Boston would keep LaVine long-term.
The two-time Slam Dunk winner is an aerial artist with a soft shooting stroke, but his reputation precedes him on the defensive end. If Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla believes that he’ll be too much of a liability, he could be headed out the door, and quickly. Even if he improves, he could suffer the same fate as impending free agent Anfernee Simons, who Boston moved at the trade deadline. As if that wasn’t enough, LaVine will be in the final season of his contract. As with any player, that inherently increases the chances of him being trade bait.
All the same, LaVine may be able to last at least one season in Boston. Mazzulla may blow a fuse when he sees blown defense but his eyes light up when players are lighting up the nets. In fact, the Celtics’ offensive philosophy –which places a heavy emphasis on the 3-point shot –has even been coined Mazzulla Ball. Keeping that in mind, LaVine has converted 1,632 3-pointers (regular season), which places him 20th among active players. He’s done this as a 39.1 percent 3-point shooter, a career mark that’s higher than even Tatum (36.8) or Derrick White (36.0).
When LaVine’s $49 million salary comes off the books in the 2027 offseason though, watch out. The Celtics could have over $40 million in cap space, which is more than enough money to re-load.
Offsetting The Difference
While LaVine may be a short-term option, decreasing his value to Boston, that doesn’t mean he won’t be valuable in the meantime. Therefore, attaching the 2026 No. 7 pick to LaVine could seem like an overpay. However, what the Kings are paying for is the difference between having a player that they literally demoted to the bench and a player who could take them to the promised land.
In fact, there’s such a stark contrast between LaVine and Brown’s trajectories that it may be the Celtics who don’t want to budge, even if the seventh overall pick is promised to them.
To offset the difference in perceived value, Raynaud should be included as well. Of note, the 2025-26 All-Rookie selection would have to battle both Sabonis and Dylan Cardwell for minutes in Sacramento, making him more expendable than he would otherwise seem. For Boston, a team that has long wanted to fortify their center position, that’s an ideal circumstance.
As Raynaud’s rookie salary ($2.2m) will be low next season, the Kings will need to attach another player to match the money match with Brown’s contract. This should lead to Carter, a former fifth overall pick determined to detach himself from the bust label, being included as well. Though the 24-year-old had eye-catching moments last summer and this spring, he hasn’t proven himself to be a consistent rotation player. As a result, Sacramento shouldn’t sweat putting him in the package.
From here, with just a $802,351 difference in matching salaries, the Kings will really just want to try to fortify their future as much as they can. That means requesting a first-round pick from the Celtics, targeting their 2030 offseason, as that’s when Tatum’s scheduled to become a free agent.
The No. 7 Pick
With the seventh overall pick, the Celtics will be able to draft a long-term replacement for Brown. For those that believe in luck, Boston’s clover is the fact that there have been several All-Stars drafted seventh overall, including Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry (2009) and Utah Jazz cornerstone Lauri Markkanen (2017). For the Celtics, the intention may simply be to take the best player available, focusing on their long-term vision. However, their standards of excellence demand a prospect that’s as NBA-ready as possible.
Keeping that in mind, several notable prospects project to be available in the 5-10 range, such as: Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr.; Houston guard Kingston Flemings; Houston big man Chris Cenac Jr.; Arizona guard Brayden Burries; Illinois guard Keaton Wagler; Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr.; Tennessee forward Nate Ament; and Michigan big men Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara.
Fortifying The Backcourt
Out of that group, the best option could be Burries, Cenac, Lendeborg or Mara. Though Acuff, Flemings and Wagler are consistently ranked above that trio on draft boards, the fact that Derrick White has firmly established himself as Boston’s starting point guard has to be taken into account. However, it must be pointed out that ever since Boston traded both Holiday and Simons, Celtics fans have felt like their backcourt was missing a piece.
Between Acuff, Flemings, Wagler, and Brown, the most balanced prospect is Flemings, whose well-rounded skill set could remind the Celtics of Holiday. However, if Boston wants a player whose skills align with what they’d be missing from Simons, then Acuff should be their choice because he’s a more prolific shooter. Of course, they could always go with the underdog, like they did when they drafted both Brown and Tatum. In this case, that would mainly fit Wagler’s description, though Brown is flying under the radar as well.
Replacing Jaylen Brown
If the Celtics are willing to go against the grain, there’s perhaps an even better option: Baylor wing Cameron Carr.
Like Brown, Carr has upper-end explosiveness, his NBA Draft Combine results illuminating the fact that he’s a 90th percentile athlete. He’s more than capable of scoring off the dribble, his elite first step and body control around the rim prototypical. Similar to Brown, Carr has several defensive highlights — his tools, instincts and intensity allowing him to put on that show. Where he differs from Brown, at least based on his play in 2025-26, is that he’s more reliable and comfortable beyond the arc.
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