Report: Atlanta Has "Legitimate" Trade Interest In Boston Celtics Star Jaylen Brown

While the Atlanta Hawks front office has maintained that they are not one player away and that they plan on developing through the draft, they continue to be linkeds to one star player.

That player would be Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, an Atlanta native. Ever since the Celtics' stunning loss to the 76ers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, there has been continued speculation that if Brown were to be traded this offseason, that the Hawks would be interested.

That speculation got more fuel today after the latest round of reporting from NBA insider Marc Stein, who has had great reporting on the Hawks over the past couple of seasons. When talking about a potential deal between the Celtics and the Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stein noted that a deal would have to include Brown and he added this note:

"I will say this much ...

There is a belief in some corners of the league that Atlanta, Houston and Portland all have legitimate trade interest in Brown.

Which is something to file away if you're looking for participants that might be interested in joining an eventual multi-team Antetokounmpo trade construction."

Earlier this month, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reported that Atlanta and Boston had "brief" trade discussions around Brown last summer, but that the discussions went nowhere.

Will Atlanta make a deal?

Jaylen Brown Atlanta Hawk — Mar 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) dribbles against Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) in the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images | Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

Now, "legitimate" trade interest is just that, interest. However, when it comes from Stein, it is very notable, and there has always been speculation about Brown possibly coming back to Atlanta to play for the Hawks, something Brown even addressed less than a year ago when asked on "The Big Tigger Morning Show":

“You never know… Nah, I feel you. Nah, I think my grandma would, too… but you never know. We’ll see.”

Jaylen Brown discusses the possibility of playing for the Atlanta Hawks in the future 👀@BigTiggerShow pic.twitter.com/N4vs46vecQ
— Zach Langley (@ZachLangleyNBA) September 10, 2025

Does a deal make sense for the Hawks though?

There is no doubt that Brown is one of the very best two-way players in the NBA and is coming off his best statistical season as a player and even got MVP votes for helping the Celtics earn the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, despite Jayson Tatum not playing for the majority of the season and Boston making major roster moves last offseason.

While Brown is a great player, he is going to cost a lot in a trade and his contract is very expensive. Brown is going to be one of the highest-paid players in the NBA and here are how the next three years of his contract break down:

2026-2027: $57,078,728

2027-2028: $61,015,192

2028-2029: $64,951,656

Given that Brad Stevens is one of the top executives in the NBA and how good a player Brown is, a trade for him is not going to be cheap, even if it is a three-way trade with the Bucks that includes the Celtics getting Antetokounmpo. Atlanta has a nice core of players in Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, all of whom either Boston or Milwaukee would be interested in. Is Atlanta ready to part with one or both of those players?

If not, does Atlanta still have a deal that would make the Celtics or the Bucks (in a three-team trade scenario)? The Hawks could pick up the $24.2 million option on Jonathan Kuminga and include Zaccharie Risacher, Corey Kispert, and Buddy Hield, along with the No. 8 pick in this year's draft, but is that something that Boston is going to be interested in?

I think that the idea that makes the most sense for Jaylen Brown to land in Atlanta would be including the Bucks and Antetokounmpo heading to Boston, letting Atlanta send that group of players and picks to Milwaukee. A starting five of Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaylen Brown, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu would be among the best in the Eastern Conference, but is Atlanta willing to include a top ten pick and their top bench player in Kuminga to do a deal?

Atlanta has plenty of options this summer as far as what to do with their financial flexibility and pursuing Brown is certainly an option.

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