Why a Nuggets-Celtics Jaylen Brown Blockbuster Trade Didn't Happen

When it became clear that the Boston Celtics were looking to trade away All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown this offseason, it made complete sense to hear the Denver Nuggets linked to a potential deal. The Nuggets would've been silly not to at least call the Celtics about the availability of the former Finals MVP.

Brown was eventually shipped to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that gave the Celtics Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks in return. Sure, the Nuggets missed out on the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes, but why? What separated Denver's best offer from a package centered around 36-year-old Paul George?

ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel detailed what went wrong in the Nuggets' pursuit of Brown, reporting that Denver was willing to offer a package centered around Aaron Gordon and Cameron Johnson, but the exclusion of Jamal Murray and draft capital held things back. Brown was actually reportedly interested in playing in Denver, but of course, the negotiations fell through.

"Denver was a team sources say Brown did hold a level of interest in going to, but the Nuggets' preliminary talks were solely focused on Aaron Gordon and Cam Johnson. Trading Jamal Murray was not on the table for the Nuggets, and with Denver holding zero tradeable draft capital, the Celtics looked elsewhere," Siegel reported.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray defended by Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown — 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. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For this reported deal to work financially, the Nuggets likely offered Gordon, Johnson, and either Julian Strawther or Zeke Nnaji in exchange for Brown. Really, this package is arguably better than what the Celtics got from Philadelphia, depending on what Boston is valuing this offseason.

If the Celtics put together a core of Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Mitchell Robinson, they would be hard to beat. Sure, George is a good player and proven co-star for Tatum, but a tandem of Johnson and Gordon would have given the Celtics a much more intriguing core.

Lack of draft capital strikes again

Of course, this deal ultimately fell through when the Nuggets had no draft capital to include. Obviously, if the 76ers were simply offering a George-for-Brown swap, Boston would have hung up the phone laughing. Those two future first-rounders are what ultimately convinced the Celtics to send Brown to their division rival, while the Nuggets had none to offer.

BLOCKBUSTER: The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/xNcNlIV2mh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

Denver's draft capital is dried out, with the franchise having zero future first-round picks available to trade. With the team seemingly looking to make major upgrades this offseason, they will likely continue to fall short without any draft picks to trade.

It is interesting that the Nuggets were unwilling to include Murray in these trade talks, as their front office has said only Nikola Jokic is untouchable this offseason. Granted, it makes much more sense for Denver to try to build a "big three" of Jokic, Murray, and Brown than to swap the two All-Stars, so really, it was a worthwhile effort by the Nuggets.

If Brown's trade market had dried up any further, then the Nuggets could have potentially convinced the Celtics to take their deal of Gordon and Johnson, although it is still an uninspiring trade package without any draft capital.

If the Nuggets want to go star hunting, they will likely have to lean on their pursuit of LeBron James in free agency. With no draft capital, acquiring a star on the trade market makes things far too difficult for Denver.

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