New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Jaylen Brown to Sacramento, Hawks Get Key Celtics Reserve

Could the Hawks acquire one of the Celtics' best rotation players as part of a larger trade that sends Jaylen Brown to Sacramento?

Mar 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) dribbles past Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles (41) in the second quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics are set up for an offseason filled with change. They not only fell short in their attempt to repeat as NBA champions, but also lost star Jayson Tatum to an Achilles injury. Tatum is likely to be out for the entire 2025-2026 season, which is a blow considering how much of Boston's roster is built to win right now. Furthermore, the Celtics are facing some salary restrictions due to a recent run of aggressive spending. Signing Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White all to new deals pushed them firmly into the second apron and they need to cut salary to duck the harsh penalties of repeating second apron status.

Another season of being in the second apron would result in their first-round pick seven years into the future (their 2032 first-rounder) becoming "frozen" and ineligible to be traded. Furthermore, second-apron teams cannot use the mid-level exception, cannot aggregate salaries in trades, cannot take back more salary than they send out in trades, cannot send cash in trades, and cannot sign-and-trade a player for another player.

While point guard Jrue Holiday and center Kristaps Porzingis are both rumored to be in trade conversations due to their expensive salaries, another player that could be on the trading block for Boston if the right deal comes along is Jaylen Brown. The former Finals MVP is on a supermax deal for the next four years and it wouldn't be entirely surprising if Boston decided to deal him in order to open up future cap space.

One team that could be interested in taking him on is the Sacramento Kings. The trio of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis did not work this season and it's clear that the Kings need to make significant changes on offense if they want to remain a viable threat in the Western Conference. If they saw Brown as the missing piece to their team, they do have the picks and salaries to make a compelling offer. They need more capable defenders who can also contribute something on offense and Brown fits that description.

However, the Celtics don't have an abundance of cap space to get a deal done. Therefore, it might make sense to trade away multiple contracts to bring in a backcourt solution if those players would be better fits on other teams. The Hawks are an example of such a team. Atlanta has a ton of financial flexibility this summer, which they can use to address their needs at interior defense, front court depth, shooting, and maybe a backup lead guard/ball handler. NBA insider Marc Stein has already reported that Atlanta could also look to be facilitators this summer in the trade market due to their financial flexibility, depending on if the team brings back any of Caris LeVert, Clint Capela, or Larry Nance.

Given the needs of all three teams, what would a trade between them look like? Here is one possible framework for a deal.

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks or any other teams should do or will do. That is all.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta

Boston Celtics Receive: DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, Jonas Valančiūnas, 2027 1st round pick (via SAC, unprotected), 2029 1st round pick (top-8 protected, via SAC), 2027 2nd round pick (via ATL), 2031 2nd round pick (via ATL)

Sacramento Kings Receive: Jaylon Brown, Baylor Scheierman

Why the Hawks would do this deal: While the Hawks already have their starter at SF and PF set for next season, adding more wing depth wouldn't be a bad idea considering their injury woes in recent seasons. Hauser is an excellent shooter (41.6% from deep on 5.6 attempts a game) who has taken strides on defense. He'd be a welcome addition on a Hawks team that shot 35.8% from deep as a team, good for 18th in the NBA last season. Queta can serve as a backup big due to his rebounding and ability to protect the rim at a serviceable level. He finished last season with a BLK% of 2.3% (73rd percentile). While he doesn't offer a ton on offense, playing with Trae Young should help the seven-footer get some easy baskets as a lob threat.

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: Hauser has struggled on defense in the past and he's signed long-term for the next four seasons. If the deal doesn't work out, that could cut into the Hawks' future cap space, which could be a problem considering they have to give new extensions to Dyson Daniels and possibly Trae Young.

Why the Celtics would do this deal: Other than opening up a tremendous amount of future flexibility by dealing away Brown, this move drops them into the first apron and also adds two additional future first-rounders to their draft capital. A team like Boston shouldn't be overly concerned about the impact that a rookie might have, but those picks can be sent out in future moves to upgrade the roster. In addtion, the players Boston gets in return for Brown can help them survive the loss of Tatum. Last season, Keegan Murray put up 12.4 points and 6.7 rebounds on 44.4/34.3/83.3% shooting splits in a down year. However, that statline doesn't take into account his versatility as a defender. He can hold his own against practically anyone on the perimeter and even offers something as a weak-side rim protector. Tatum's versatility on defense is unmatched, but Murray is about as close as one can get to it. By trading Brown, they can also sign Murray to a long-term extension and keep a formidable wing duo in Boston for years to come. DeRozan posted 22.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game on 47.7/32.8/85.7 shooting splits. The efficiency could be better, but he shot 49% on midrange attempts (85th percentile last season) and he's an excellent option in the clutch. Furthermore, he's very durable despite his age, playing in 77 games this past season and continuing a four-year streak of playing 74+ games. DeRozan runs contrary to the Celtics' organizational ethos, but his contract is a 2-year deal and he could be traded before next season upon Tatum's return. Valančiūnas is a serviceable starting center who can take on starts in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis if Boston deals him this summer. He averaged 10.4 points and 7.7 rebounds in the 81 games he played last year on 60.4 TS%. He excels as a defensive rebounder, recording a DRB% of 30.7% and a total REB% of 22%.

Why the Celtics would not do this deal: DeRozan and Valančiūnas aren't ideal fits for the system Boston has run under Joe Mazzulla. Neither player really shoots threes and both of them are on long-term contracts that run through the back half of their careers, indicating that they likely won't alter their play styles too much and they will likely be hard to move if they are unplayable with Boston. Brown's ability to run some offense also isn't really being replicated in this deal and that could be a problem due to the Celtics lacking Tatum next season.

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