Jaylen Brown Explains Why Celtics 'Need' New Free Agent Signing

Oct 12, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA: Boston Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown (7) attempts a free throw against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics have revamped their lineup considerably from the championship core that brought them a 64-18 record and a title in 2023-24 and a 61-21 finish and the East's No. 2 seed the subsequent season, amid health issues.

With All-NBA power forward Jayson Tatum out for perhaps all of 2025-26 recovering from an Achilles tendon tear, team president Brad Stevens opted to pivot his team-building considerably over the summer.

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Boston's new majority owner, Bill Chisholm, and former majority owner-turned-minority stakeholder Wyc Grousbeck were staring down a combined $500 million-plus payroll this season had they done nothing.

Instead, given that the Celtics were missing their best player, Stevens traded two starters — six-time All-Defensive Team guard Jrue Holiday and center Kristaps Porzingis — and let free agent bigs Al Horford and Luke Kornet depart for richer deals in the Western Conference.

Enter Josh Minott and Co.

But Boston still has to pay someone. So Stevens inked free agent former Minnesota Timberwolves vets Josh Minott and Luka Garza to veteran's minimum deals, plus two-time champion big man Chris Boucher. The Celtics also brought back guard Anfernee Simons from the Portland Trail Blazers in their Holiday trade.

Minott, a 6-foot-8 combo forward out of the University of Memphis, never managed to crack the rotation during his three seasons on contending Minnesota rosters. Across just 46 games last season, Minott averaged 2.6 points on .489/.326/.895 shooting splits and 1.0 rebounds in just 6.0 minutes of mop-up action.

Per Taylor Snow of Celtics.com, Minott's lone healthy All-Star Celtics teammate, swingman Jaylen Brown, considers the 22-year-old to be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to improving Boston's ceiling in 2025-26.

Asked Jaylen Brown about his early impressions of Josh Minott and he said Josh fits the mold of an ideal wingmate:

“He's a long, athletic wing. Something that we could've used over the past years or so. Somebody high-energy, super athletic. We need that. That defensive pressure,… pic.twitter.com/xQfjYt3HlN

— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) October 13, 2025

Brown appears to appreciate Minott's two-way upside.

“He's a long, athletic wing," Brown said. "Something that we could've used over the past years or so. Somebody high-energy, super athletic. We need that. That defensive pressure, intensity. And he's been showing that he can knock down a shot and he can take a guy off the bounce, as well."

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Through three preseason bouts for the Celtics thus far, Minott has been averaging a whopping 25.1 minutes, and consequently has seen his output improve to averages of 12.3 points on .536/.231/.800 shooting splits, 6.3 boards, 1.7 swipes, 1.3 dimes and 0.7 rejections a night.

"He's been great all training camp," Brown added. "He's been great all preseason. We're going to need him to be great all season long."

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