I usually reserve my semi-informed sports musings for Facebook. But that Celtics trade, with Jaylen Brown going to the 76ers for a few draft picks and a 36-year-old guy who’s hurt all the time, is just mind-boggling. How did we get from “We’ll trade Brown reluctantly if it gives us a chance to win a championship” to “We must dump Brown at any cost”?
The best-case scenario is that Brad Stevens is clearing the decks for a blockbuster move. The worst-case scenario? New owner Bill Chisholm comes from the world of private equity, and the one thing these guys know how to do is strip their businesses of assets before selling them off and moving on.
Sports journalist Howard Bryant put it this way on Threads: “Are the Celtics entering the John Y. Brown era of ownership?”
Stevens has proved to be bold and creative in recent years, so he deserves some time to show us what’s next. But if that’s all there is, the Celtics just gave away their second-best player, who also happens to be an interesting person and a leader in the Black community, for — nothing.
On second thought. Less than two weeks ago, the Celtics were willing to trade Brown for Giannis Antetokounmpo. It didn’t work out because of other players and draft picks, but you can’t say it would have been a contract dump. So I guess we should be willing to wait and see what Stevens might have up his sleeve.