Nuggets Have an Opportunity to Trade for Jaylen Brown–

It looks like there could be a real opportunity for teams around the league to look into the possibility of a Jaylen Brown trade with the Boston Celtics.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Celtics have been engaging on trade conversations surrounding their 2024 Finals MVP, following their failed attempt at a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Latest on Jaylen Brown, per @ShamsCharania:

"As we're hours away from the NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics have started to listen, engage, and discuss trades around Jaylen Brown."
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) June 23, 2026

It opens the door for several potential suitors to get into the mix for a deal surrounding Brown, if they were interested in doing so.

For a team like the Denver Nuggets, who are headed into about as unpredictable of an offseason as they've had since Nikola Jokic's emergence, perhaps they could be one of those teams who get involved.

But would it be the right move to do so? And even if they were to have interest, is there a tangible shot of being able to strike a deal? Let's take a deeper look:

What Nuggets Would Have to Give Up for Jaylen Brown

It feels like there's only two truly realistic routes that the Nuggets could make a Brown deal happen with the Celtics, and neither of which would be a surefire guarantee that Boston would be interested to strike a deal:

1. Essentially a one-for-one player swap of Brown and Jamal Murray, that would also need a salary filler on the Nuggets' side–– potentially Zeke Nnaji–– to make happen. You'd also have to assume that Denver throws some minor draft capital as well.

2. A package deal that includes the likes of Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson, and a salary filler like Julian Strawther or DaRon Holmes that gives the Celtics a bit more depth in their frontcourt, and also might be a deal that includes an additional draft pick or two.

Would either deal pique the Celtics' interest enough to pull the trigger? It's tough to say. Does another team have a better package to offer? Probably. But the Nuggets could at least have a narrow route to making a splash happen, if they so desired.

Mar 2, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) defended by Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

At the same time, neither of those moves seems like they'd really move the needle forward for Denver as much as you'd expect.

The first option would leave the Nuggets with a huge void of ball-handling and shot-making in the backcourt; the second would leave Denver virtually cornered into making a subsequent trade surrounding Murray without facing several cap hurdles.

So sure, if there's a will, there's a way. But the Nuggets need to have other priorities instead of going for a splashy, expensive star like Brown. This roster has far more needs to attack.

Where the Nuggets' Intentions Should Lie Instead

Brown does tend to give the Nuggets a boost on the wing, and would certainly offer a bit better two-way abilities than they currently have.

He's coming off a career-best season averaging over 28 points on 47.7% shooting from the field with nearly seven rebounds and five assists, is a stout defender, en route to an All-NBA Second Team selection. Pairing that with someone like Nikola Jokic would be pretty scary.

But the Nuggets need to dig deeper for their necessary improvements this offseason.

Denver needs to refine their depth, add more athleticism, improve ball-handling, and have two-way upside across multiple positions.

Adding Brown alone, while eye-catching, won't be enough to make all of those strides at once. And his hefty cap number of over $57 million across the next three years makes it tough to bring him onboard while fixing up those holes up and down the roster at the same time.

Apr 26, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) reacts after making a three point basket against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

A better approach for the Nuggets, on paper, seems like it would be to use Murray as a trade chip to cash in on two or three reliable rotation players that also bring back a worthwhile offensive-minded guard in the process, or make a move with Gordon with a similarly minded swap; albeit on a bit of a lesser scale.

So while you can't totally count out the Nuggets from making a surprise splash for someone like Brown––anything is possible in an NBA offseason, especially for a team in a situation like Denver’s––making a move like this one might not be one that raises their ceiling as a championship-level team much more than it currently sits.

In reality, doing so might just be like patching a couple of holes in a sinking ship, only for three more to bust open moments later.

Sign up for our free Denver Nuggets On SI newsletter, and get breaking Nuggets news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google