Report: Hawks, Celtics Had "Brief" Trade Discussions Around Jaylen Brown Last Summer

There continues to be trade buzz around Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown and Atlanta is a destination that continues to brought up

Jan 17, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) shoots against the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics are getting a head start on their offseason after they fell in the first round of the NBA playoffs, and while the Hawks are anxiously awaiting the results of Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery, the Celtics are trying to figure out how to respond after blowing a 3-1 series lead in the first round against the 76ers, who currently trail the Knicks 3-0 in their second round series.

Since the Celtics lost to the 76ers, there has been rampant speculation about whether or not Boston would consider trading Brown. Brown said on a Twitch Stream after the game seven loss that this past season was his favorite in Boston. If you remember, Boston won the NBA title in 2024 and Brown was the Finals MVP after the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks. There were also these comments by Tracy McGrady, who is very close with Brown:

“I think his frustration lies deeply in the organization that we don’t have the details to… There’s just been a lot of stuff that I’ve been hearing, just going on with the Boston organization with JB.”

Whenever Brown's name comes up in possible trade talks, the Hawks are always brought up as a destination due to Brown being from Georgia. The latest tidbit of news around Brown and the Hawks comes from Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, who mentioned in a new piece yesterday that Atlanta and Boston had brief trade talks around Brown last summer:

"The Celtics had a very brief conversation with Atlanta about Brown last summer, sources say, as the team was in the midst of its roster deconstruction. It didn’t go anywhere; Atlanta was leery of Brown’s contract, and Boston wasn’t looking to give him away. But Brown has taken a leap since then—he will likely land a spot on the All-NBA first team and finish in the top five in MVP voting—and the Hawks need an A-list star."

The Hawks and Celtics did end up being partners in a three-team trade last summer, with Boston sending Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta.

Things are different this offseason and Brown had the best season of his career statistically. He averaged 28.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 5.1 APG on 48% shooting from the field and 35% shooting from three. He set a career high in PPG, APG, tied his career high in RPG, and shot a career best 80% from the foul line. While Jayson Tatum was recovering from an Achilles injury that sidelined him for most of the season, Brown kept the Celtics afloat and propelled them to a 56 win season.

Would the Hawks trade for Brown? Never say never in the NBA, especially if the price is right, but with Brown coming off this type of season, he is not going to come cheap and that is going to go against what Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh said following exit interviews after the season:

"We are not one player away from this, the best iteration of this team is going to be through development and our players currently getting better. We're really excited about the future and what holds there, from the draft to the flexibility moving forward, all that stuff. We're in a good place, position set up moving forward, and our coaching staff has just been remarkable this year."

There is no denying that Brown would make the Hawks better and a five man core of Brown, Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu would be very intriguing in the East. However, if the Hawks and Celtics were to do a deal together, it would involve a lot of salary and probably a lot of draft capital.

The Hawks looked the part of a future contender when they finished the season 20-6 after the All-Star Break and pushed the Knicks (who look very much like the best team in the Eastern Conference) to six games, but this team has plenty of optionality to build their roster. They could have the No. 1 pick (or a top four pick) in this year's draft and plenty of financial flexibility to add to this team. Do they want to blow all of that now for Brown? That does not seem like a move that Saleh would make, but again, never say never in the NBA.

There is going to be continued speculation about Brown's future with the Celtics and Atlanta is naturally going to be brought up in conversations. However, I remain skeptical that the Hawks do sch a deal unless it is advantageous for them and the price is just right.