The Jaylen Brown Trade is no Longer Worth it for the Houston Rockets

The Boston Celtics' asking price is just too steep.

Nov 30, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) reacts after fouling Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images

It appears that the Houston Rockets will be leaning into improving the depth of their current roster as opposed to going star hunting this offseason.

Weeks before Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded to the Miami Heat, the Rockets were not believed to be interested in a blockbuster deal despite the linkage between both sides. Now, with Jaylen Brown on the trade block, the Boston Celtics are looking to move off the 28-year-old after averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game as an MVP candidate.

But now, Houston will likely disengage with Boston on that front as well. The Rockets are not high on Brown, and haven't been involved in any reports as of late, and that's probably best.

Most mock trades have included just one or two players from Houston's young core, without much draft capital going out. However, it seems that the Celtics want much more than that, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The NBA insider revealed Boston's asking price throughout negotiations with teams this week.

"Each day this week, the Boston Celtics have been actively engaged in trade conversations around Jaylen Brown with multiple interested teams," Charania said.

"My understanding is, in some cases, the Celtics have asked teams for at least four first-round picks for Jaylen Brown. "He's got three years left on his contract at a supermax clip. So where does that put him as far as his value?"

Look, Brown is a fantastic two-way player. Coming off the best season of his career, it makes sense that his value is so steep. But in this case, it's not worth it for the Rockets to pursue. They have great insurance in their young core, plus picks coming from the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets in 2027.

That's valuable enough to hold onto, especially if Houston can't get over the hump with Kevin Durant at the helm. The 37-year-old is still one of the game's best pure scorers, having averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game this past season.

With Antetokounmpo off the market and Brown likely to go elsewhere, there are few stars the Rockets can target. At this point, it's best to build depth and develop pieces to compete in the future rather than sell them for just an opportunity to go far in the playoffs.

Boston's asking price is just too high. Let another team overpay for his services.