A Jaylen Brown For Evan Mobley Swap Has Been Discussed

Let's talk about the Celtics here, which is getting more interesting by the day.

Uh, as we know, last week, the Celtics, or I guess this week still, the Celtics were aggressively in the mix to chase Giannis Tendakopo.

They wound up losing the Giannis sweepstakes to the Miami Heat, which were just all in on Giannis.

They were horny for Giannis, man.

Like they were just trying to get their hands on this guy and willing to do whatever that it took to do it.

Now, the Celtics, They were left with the bag, really.

Like they were left with everybody including Jalen Brown, having the knowledge that they tried to trade Jalen Brown and two first-round picks to go and get, uh, Giannis.

Uh, since then, we have seen a flurry of reporting.

Including some of my own that says that the Celtics are continuing to have conversations about Jalen Brown and a potential trade.

Evan, we've seen the Celtics explore Jalen Brown trades in the past, but this one feels different.

Like this situation feels different.

Uh, let's start here.

Do you think that we've reached the point of no return?

With Jalen Brown and the Celtics where they almost have to trade him because of the way, where the situa uh the relationship has gone.

Uh, I think it's like, I'm, I'm, I'm 80% of like, you damn near have to do it because the conversation has been up so much.

And like I said, I think this was this like his 4th time he tried to trade him in the past few years.

So let's go through the list, right , because, well, I mean, you can add the fact that on draft night in 20 2016, uh, he was booed.

His draft pick was booed because fans thought like Chris Dunn was a better pick or they should trade the deal for the, uh, Jimmy Butler.

Uh, I believe around, around circa 2018, uh, 2018, 2019, they were trying to acquire Kawhi Leonard.

That would have taken Jalen Brown.

Then it was Anthony Davis, that would have taken Jalen Brown.

2022, Kevin Durant, that would have taken Jalen Brown.

So yes, really since he was a second or third-year player, they have been exploring deals for Jalen Brown.

Yeah, I think it's something as little as They know each other and having a conversation and being like, hey, Brad came out the other day and was like, yo, this is a tough conversation to have.

It's never fun for this to be involved, but it's part of the game, part of the business.

I think I think outside looking in or just a little bit, I know, I think Brad, Jalen and Brad have a lot of respect for each other.

So as least insulting as it could be, I think Brad might have that leeway, even though it's not the most ideal.

Maybe I'm soft on Brad, but I just think When you sit there, it's like, man, we, we had to.

Or like, when it comes down to, to trading, it's like, hey bro, we can't do this trade unless you're involved.

We can't do any trade unless you're involved.

Like, if we could, I, I know how much Brad respects Jalen.

It's like, I wouldn't try to trade him at all, but you're such a great basketball player, you're one of the best players in the league.

That's just how it goes.

I think the only way that you can really bounce back is Being honest, having that conversation that Brad had publicly.

recognizing the player you actually do have and then what was, what are they able to do?

Give him an extension for 2 years, 140 million?

Yeah, he's got 3 years left on his contract.

They can extend it for 2 years at about 70 million per year.

Yeah, so I mean.

I mean, Jalen still, you know, a kid from the, from the hood, man, pay for his pain.

Like and call it, and call it that.

I think that's the only real way, but at the same time , we remove ourselves, even when they were doing a Giannis trade in general, I, I think they were able to give up pick, uh, a player and two picks and they weren't going to give up more, but it's like, hey, we're already giving you Jalen Brown.

Jalen next 5 years arguably could be better than a, an ailing Giannis next 5 years, like.

The way that the guy plays isn't gonna age well.

The miles, miles that he already put, put on his wheels is crazy because he, he goes to war out there.

You understand what I'm saying?

Now you have a bunch of soft tissue injuries, he's been hurt half the time.

You have to have a specific team to play around.

It's just so much you have to do in order to have a successful Giannis run.

People forget during those Bucks tenure, Drew Holiday was arguably a top 20 player in the league that wasn't talked about.

Chris Middleton was an All-Star.

Wasn't talked about .

Pat Connington, Bobby Portis, they had great coaching, like the others were elite, so Giannis could be great, you know what I mean?

Because even years prior to that, he was struggling with Toronto getting 12 points in certain series.

So, I, I believe when it comes down to it, you have to comprehend how great it is, but at the same time, they're like, yo, we , we wouldn't want to go anywhere else in this sense.

But having Jalen Brown, you, you arguably have a top 10 player to go along with a top 5 player.

I, I never thought Adding Giannis would make the Celtics better, even though I comprehend what Giannis was able to do, but I, I believe the Celtics got off easy on this one.

I don't know where Giannis will be in these next 3 years, just based on how his game hasn't aged well, and it's only so much bully ball you can do, and now you see.

The tides are turning, and it's like, will this Giannis-s type of game be able to mold against the San Antonio Spurs, the OKC Thunder?

Even if Detroit Pistons get one more piece, would it be legit?

So, I, I, I never, I was never a big fan of trading Jalen for Giannis, cause I believe Jalen's next 3 or 4 years are elite.

You know, I thought there would be some room for Jalen to come back before that Brad Stevens press conference.

After I don't know, man.

Like Brad Stevens at that press conference had several opportunities to shut down any further Jalen Brown trade talk, and he did everything humanly possible.

He twisted himself into a verbal pretzel.

To not give a soundbite, to not commit to anything.

Saying we love Jalen, but you never know.

You can't promise anything.

All, all the, the phrases that he used to avoid any kind of specific soundbite except to say that he did still believe that Jalen and Jason could win a championship as a duo together in Boston.

So, but listening to that presser, Evan, that, that told me that we are far, far from over.

With this Jalen Brown stuff.

And in the past, once Kawhi wasn't there, we were done.

Once Anthony Davis wasn't there, we were done.

Once Kevin Durant wasn't there, we were done.

In the past, they were zeroed in on one guy.

And they , look, you, you got to give something to get something.

So they knew they'd have to give up Jalen Brown to go and get that one guy.

Now, as we record this, On Friday morning, ESPN reporting the Celtics are asking for 4 first-round draft picks in exchange for Jalen Brown.

That, that tells me that they are motivated to move him.

That tells me that they're trying to do this even if it's for draft capital and not a, a player of equal or close to equal type of value.

So let me ask you this question.

Like, what do you make of that?

Like, this is now graduated.

From, let's see if we can get Giannis to we're trying to offload Jalen Brown.

Like, you were, you were there for a long time as a player, as a coach.

You're close to Jayson Tatum.

Like, you know the organization.

Like, why, why, why , why did they seem so eager to offload Jalen Brown after he submitted the best year of his career?

All NBA 2nd team, 6th in MVP voting.

Uh, elite in every possible way, dragged this team to 56 wins.

This team stunk.

I'm sorry.

They stunk.

They went into the season with like 40 wins I thought would have been successful.

They won 56 and that was largely due to the greatness of Jalen Brown.

Why do you think that they are turning around now and doing everything it seems possible to find a deal for him?

Yeah, I just think probably.

I think connection, they probably think connection probably peaked, you know, they're like, we're good, but maybe we're not good enough to win a championship with this team.

Maybe we're not good enough to go into the future without any did though 2 years ago.

It was 2 years, yeah, but they had the highest paid team on earth and it literally was like 6 killers.

It wasn't your little cousin Baylor Shireman.

And whoever else he brought with him .

Like, do you, do you know what I mean?

Like, like, do you understand what I'm saying?

I think that is one realistic thing of being like, hey, we might not be good enough to give two guys 140 and then ride their backs when we need more players and Brad's a big-time thinker.

Everybody else is getting draft capital and trying to load up and see what's happening next.

I don't know if there's a 16 year old floating around that He, he has the, you know, the hot score, but I think when you can do it, you have to do it.

It's either spending 140 and make Jalen even richer or try to put yourself in a better position when, you know, Tatum's even more on his feet and build a, a, a, a deeper and better team.

You know, I think it's an arms race when it comes down to how good you have to be to compete with a championship.

Your top 8 has to be thorough.

We are interchange.

Changing our top 8 after our top 3, and one of our top 3s was on the bench, you know what I mean?

So I think that's one of those situations.

I think too as well, you have to put the gun in Jalen Brown's lap and be like, hey, do you want to be on your own as well?

He's, he's, he's previewed it, he's said it numerous times, he's hinted at it, and sometimes it might be like, hey, he's shown improved.

Yo, I'm a top 6, top 5 player.

I'm one of the most elite dudes.

I want my own situation.

They've been dancing around it for forever.

It's not bad to be like, hey, we're, Brad can literally sit there and be like, hey, this guy is ready to take over and figure out whatever's going on and we, we can get something back.

You're asking a team for 41st round draft picks.

It's like I'm sending you a killer.

I'm sending you a dog.

Like, This is Jalen Brown now.

So we need to, to a certain extent, you have to get on Brad's butt about trading him, but what he's asking for is like, I'm sending you one of the best players in the world for the next decade.

So, I feel where that's coming from.

I, I, I totally comprehend it.

I also understand like, nah, bro, we weren't giving up more than that for fucking Giannis.

Like we would still have to go get more players.

Like, do you understand what I'm saying?

Like, we're underestimating, it's, it's a, it's disrespectful, I guess when you're trying to trade Jalen Brown, but it's also disrespectful in the sense of like not paying attention to the whys and the actions for it as well.

We're at, we're looking for 4 or 5 first-round picks.

You're damn near trading Jalen Brown for almost A quarter billion dollars.

Like, do you know what I mean?

And for the future, so.

It, it's far worse things than being traded and getting, moving from the shadows and getting your spotlight going and, and I just believe when they bounce back from it.

It's pro sports, bro.

And, and I believe that Jalen's in a good situation.

The Celtics aren't wrong for trying to build towards the future because they have to get better.

Our big men right now is Luca Garza, and shout out to Nimus Cada cause I love him to death.

And if, and, and maybe go get Voch back.

Like we, we literally went in the NBA, one of the best leagues in the world.

We went, we, we split the center position between three big men who were supposed to be in the prime of their career.

Like, it's scary than just discussing Jalen Brown.

Jayson Tatum, when he gets healthy, we never talk about this, but his numbers are realistically 28, 13, and 8.

You know what I mean?

Like when he's healthy, his numbers are LeBron-esque dominant.

So it's about building a team around a guy that can get you over the hurdle on his own in general.

So, I'm not too bad about it.

It just comes down to firepower and, you know, I, I think we have to take away We have to bring the urgency from discussing Jalen Brown and being like, we need players.

We did not have enough players this year.

Like Derrick White is going to be done pretty soon in that situation.

We need Peyton to step up, but we need players.

We don't, we, we, we poured syrup on shit and called it pancakes.

And we can't, I think that's more alarming than anybody, uh, than anything is next year, even if we get into it, we, we, we lost in the first round to the fucking Sixers.

Like that's scary or anything.

We, we didn't have enough firepower to get out of that because we just weren't good enough.

And I think that's the scariest part about it all is bringing players, building players, and trying to get that going.

Am I, am I wrong front court, the, the front court is a huge issue, no doubt about it.

And whether it's for another front court star or the draft capital that you can turn around and use to get another front court star, whether it's in the offseason before the trade deadline, maybe even next.

Remember, they're, not to get too deep in the weeds, but there are benefits for this team for staying under the aprons this season.

Long-term benefits.

There, there's, there's just more flexibility if you do that again this year.

But the, then the question is, do you want to potentially waste another Jayson Tatum year, um, when he's at his peak and he's playing at the level that he's playing at.

The deal that I've been kind of obsessed with, and it's been, You know, an educate, uh more of an educated obsession because I've been hearing this from other people around the league is that it's some kind of Jalen Brown, Evan Mobley swap.

Um, you know, you're smiling and I'll, I'll, my, my case for this is that Evan Mobley is already a really, really good big man.

Um, not great, but a really good big man right now.

Former Defensive Player of the Year.

Inconsistency has plagued him at times, um, in his tenure in Cleveland.

But I also think like you put Evan Mobley in this Joe Missoula player development machine, big man development machine.

You're probably gonna see him go back on the upward trajectory and maybe start to reach some of that offensive potential.

Similarly with Cleveland, like the Cavaliers, they can sing all the songs they want about how we took a step forward.

We're the conference finals.

They're not there.

Like they're not there.

And I actually think that like if you're keeping Jarrett Allen around in Cleveland, you can afford.

to part ways with Evan Mobley.

And I actually think that Jalen Brown makes that team better than what they'd be with Evan Mobley because now you have in Mitchell and Brown, two dynamic wing scores.

You've got Jalen Brown who's a multi-positional defender.

You've still got James Harden to be kind of like the, the backup engine there at the point guard position.

I think they're, they're more equipped to at least win the Eastern Conference with Jalen Brown than they are with Evan Mobley.

People might disagree with me.

Many people do, maybe you do, but I think that's a, a deal that makes some sense for Cleveland and for Boston, you, you're not, outside of Giannis, you're not gonna find another big man better than Evan Mobley, who's younger than Jalen Brown, who's got a slightly better contract than Jalen Brown.

Uh, and has the room to maybe continue to develop into one of the best two-way bigs in the league.

If you're looking at that as a hypothetical, which organization do you think is kind of saying, uh, I don't know about that one?

I feel like Celtics would be like, uh, I don't know about that one.

I always felt like He wasn't a bigger name, the team wasn't ready, but even before Cleveland traded away DeAndre Hunter, I always thought they were three men away from being able to really make some noise, make some splash, even before they got James Harden.

So I love Jalen Brown over that way.

You might hate me for this.

I think only Joe Missoula could probably pull it out of him, pause is, I think Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, two-time All-Star, all NBA, I, I think Evan Mobley could quite possibly, just judging from his motor and mentality, could have peaked.

Uh, I, at, at what, 25 or whatever he is like just don't be doing shit like, like, do you know what I mean like he's got all the skills, all the tools and everything, and it's like come on dog, like you didn't want 22 All-Stars, Defensive Player of the Year, and we're praying for you to get 16 and 10 as 1/4 option, like, you know what I mean like like that's my only thing that throws me off about Evan Mobley.

I'll be like, yo, like.

You're a defensive player, you, you've done all this stuff.

It's not like it's a developing big like when we're waiting for Andrew Bynum to turn a corner back in the day.

It's like he's done all this stuff.

It's almost like when we sit there with OKC like get rid of Chet because I don't understand what the hell you're doing.

You already done it.

So I don't even want to say a young guy is peaked, but I'm like, I don't see no more than 18 and 10 for him.

You would still be looking for another third guy or hoping Peyton or Derrick White are going to play at all-world level.

In my personal opinion, I think Cleveland definitely does a deal.

I think getting Evan Mobley fucking and I could be wrong, like shoot me in the foot, but I love you, brod.

You fuck around and get fired, bro.

Like don't do that.

Don't do that, man.

You like Evan Mobley that and you know better than me.

I'm just looking at being like if you can shoot the jumper, you're 7 ft, run the floor, block shots, have the capacity to do it, it's like.

Why are we waiting for you to get 16 and 10 in this high scoring atmosphere?

Do you, do you understand what I'm saying?

Like, I do, I do, um.

I, I think we're on the same page that Cleveland, it makes a lot of sense for.

You get another killer into that lineup.

And as much as we're obsessed with Biggs, we're only like a year or two removed from being obsessed with wings, like needing to have versatile switchy type of rings and wings that Jalen Brown could do just that.

He's also really tight with Donovan Mitchell.

And if you're trying to convince Donovan Mitchell to stay there long term, hey, maybe getting a guy that he's close with who's on a long-term contract, who you could also potentially extend.

That makes a ton of sense, I think for the Cavaliers.

I get that Mobley's a risk because he kind of has this career where he's going up , up, up, then he's flatlining.

Then he's going up a little bit, then he's flatlining.

Like 2 years ago, or what it was 23 years ago now, when the final year of JB Bickerstaff, he kind of flatlined.

And I think that was part of the reason JB Bickerstaff was let go in Cleveland.

Kenny Atkinson comes in.

And during that, what, 66 win season, whatever it was, he kind of went up a little bit.

Like he was shooting 37% from 3.

He's more of a facilitator at the top of the key.

Like Kenny's always saying, he said this to me once.

He's like, this guy's our ceiling razor.

When he's on his game, we are a lot better as a team.

But this year, he definitely kind of went back to that straight line where he wasn't getting any better and in some ways, he was getting worse.

He was up 30% from 3 this year, but he is just 25 years old and the defense is there.

And I think the offense can be there.

I think there is a corner 3-point shooter that can be a knockdown guy.

I think there is a better low post presence than he's shown at this point in his career.

I think there is room to grow there.

And with him at 25, Tatum at what, 27, 28, like, That, I, I, I like, I like that as a deal.

If you're going to do a Jalen Brown deal, to me, that's the best player you're probably gonna get back.

And, and it fits the positional need that you've been looking for uh in these trade talks.

I mean, yeah, I'm not against it.

You're absolutely right.

We, we're, we'll just still be looking for two more pieces.

That's it.

Like, no matter, I, I feel like inconsistency, and this is coming from somebody who knows that's an identity and that's part of your skill set.

Like, Do you understand?

Like, and I'm just comparing it to all these other dudes that can just wake up and kill.

It's like, it's 82 games, we're only getting 47 out of you.

That's a flaw.

Like, do you know what I mean?

And you're 25 and I'm just reiterating like every single year we we have to check and, and revitalize Evan Mobley.

And when you're trying to make a run.

Especially during playoff time, and it's like how much skill set you have, like, he should have been killed as the 3rd option, 4th option.

Like, not even saying that, it's just like you had so many weapons in that Kenny Atkinson offense.

I, I, I believe Brad would still have to keep working more and find him one more piece or trying to go get Drew Holiday back, but they'd still be one piece away.

He would be.

He would be the 3rd option in big 3 and we're still missing the 2nd.

That's all I'm saying.

Like, it'd be legit, it would be a build towards the future and you have to comprehend that, but you would have to hope one of those guys develop or somebody signs there or somebody comes over through a trade that's even more of a wing scoring killer because You know, Peyton's buckets are six-man buckets.

They're thorough, but they're, they're even better when they're in, in compliment complimentary of somebody else.

Derrick White is elite, but those buckets are also cutesy when it's in complimentary of somebody else.

If you're coming out and being like, damn, we need 27 from Derrick White, you, you are in trouble.

You know what I mean?

Cause When he's dangerous, he's the best 3rd man in the world, he's the best 4th man in the world.

And when we're talking about the championship from back in 2024, that was just a loaded team.

And we're complete opposite of loaded.

The game seven versus Sixers.

And he should have suited up and been like, yo, bro, just give me, let, let me switch to 5 man and just kick it to me in a corner.

Like, that's how, how much we're at a disadvantage versus lowly Sixers.

We, we made the Sixers believe they won a championship and it's just like, yo, once again, y'all don't make it past the 2nd week of the playoffs ever, you know.

Yeah, I, I don't disagree that it, it doesn't solve all the problems, um.

I think it's just the best of a bad situation.

Like if you are really gonna move off of Jalen Brown and you want to find the best player that's available, and I'm not saying Evan Mobley is even really available, but I do think this is a deal that makes sense for both sides, uh, then this is Uh, the best of a shitty situation.

Ellen Mobley, it's gonna piss us off even more .

I ain't gonna lie, you know, you, but you, you know, what's interesting, like you and Scal, and I talked to Scal about this a lot.

Like you're on different sides.

Scal says that if that deal is on the table, you do it every day of the week.

You make it happen.

He believes that Evan Mobley is the right fit for this team.

Well, all, all heads shall bow, all mouths shall close when the Honorable Brian Scalabrini speaks.

So I don't wanna go against him too much because he's a, you know, he's a, he's a basketball aficionado.

I just Man, I know what it looks like.

Like that's it.

We just, we need, we need a second.

Like you come in here, I'm not.

Bro, I'm not going to no Celtics game.

He's talking about the dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Evan Mobley.

I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be pissed.

Like bring back Ant Simons.

Hey, maybe, maybe.

No, but, and it, it's not bad.

I'm just like, bro, I love Evan Mobley.

That's, there's a reason why he sunk down to the 4th option and, and got the ball as much as Jared Allen with an old, like James Harden ain't been popping in years.

They were like, you know what, James, we need.

Kenny Atkinson is an offensive guru and he's like, maybe our best situation is just putting our one killer at one end of the court, our other killer on the other side, and we just keep swinging it back and forth.

There has to be a reason.

Uh, the coach that went to Detroit, he was about to win Coach of the Year.

There's, he's not crazy .

Like, do you understand what I'm saying that not everybody can show up and be like, Man, this shit don't taste good when it comes to pause, when it comes down to Evan Mobley.

I love Evan Mobley to death.

I'm just like, hey, bro.

Let's chat back after All-Star break and we get twin, because we're still one away and Y'all gonna be mad cause he averaged 17 and 10 .

I'm gonna be like, bro, that's, that's what he's done his whole life.

1710, and you get lucky, 2.5 blocks.

Leave him alone, OK?

Like, that's it, like.

Chris, you know what I'm talking about, baby.

I do.

I get, I get your point.

I'm, I'm curious to see the, and then even just like the swag alone like.

The aura, you can't take no aura like Jalen away from your locker room and, and, and shout out to Evan Mobley.

Like you're a fly dude, bro, don't get it wrong, but it's just different, bro.

We're gonna lose a lot like all around.

And just like the killer, Jalen's a dog.

Like say what you want, like sometimes he does some bonehead stuff.

Jalen's going down and he's going, they traded off everybody.

His right-hand man blew his Achilles out.

He's playing with, with the children of the corn.

And what does he do?

He goes and gets 56 wins.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

Shout out to all the Celtics.

I love that it's just like, man, you, you, you, you're trading a quarter for a nickel, and I love Evan Mobley, bro.

I know them contracts match up, but God, no.

It ain't the same.

If y'all want somebody to go get a bad 17 and 10, I could do it.

But don't go do it, don't.

Chris, we could do it.

Like we, like just, just, just get that out on 3 big men, it ain't shit.

Like, but don't, I'm my fault, cut that, but don't do that, don't do that.

Don't do that.

If, if any listeners out there wants to make us a graphic of the Celtics role players as the children of the corn, I, I'm, I'm here for it.

No, and I hate it because I was a role player and a Celtic role player.

So don't, fellas, I'm no better than you, but god damn, like I know y'all.

If I was a role player, I'm like, don't do that shit.

Like then what are we gonna do?

What Jalen's supposed to do?

Like, shout out to Baylor and them, but I know they can't make up for 28 over across 6 people like.

Don't, don't put that in neither.

Isn't that, and I love Bayard Shire, man, but that's, we're talking about Jalen Brown and Evan Mobley.

I know, I'm with you there.