NBA Trade Rumors: The Celtics may have to decide between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

NBA Trade Rumors: Will the Boston Celtics have to decide between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown?

Through nearly the one-third mark of the 2021–22 NBA season, the Boston Celtics have been pretty average. Even though many didn’t consider them to be a top-end contender in the Eastern Conference, I still believe that the vast majority would consider the Celtics as a disappointment so far this season.

And while it would be easy to point to the fact that Jaylen Brown has missed nearly half the games so far this season, nearly every NBA team has had to, one way or another, deal with injuries or unavailability due to health and safety protocols.

The reason why I don’t believe that argument holds very much weight is the fact that even in the games that Brown has played this season for the Celtics, they’re only 7-7. At the moment, the Celtics are 14-14, good enough for 10th in the Eastern Conference standings.

Overall as a team, the Celtics are a below-average offensive team, a slightly above-average defensive team, and carry an average net rating. There’s nothing about this team that scares you. There’s nothing about this team that suggests their best play is yet to come. And, perhaps most importantly, there’s nothing about this team that suggests they’re on the doorstep of contention.

Considering all that, something has to give. I don’t believe the Celtics can continue to operate under a false assumption. And a big decision could be looming for new executive Brad Stevens.

Having to choose between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had prior just been hearsay and fan talk; however, there are now legit reports surrounding that belief, and if the Celtics continue to fall short of expectations, you’d have to think that is something that will have to be done sooner rather than later.

"[via Bleacher Report]While the Celtics appear committed to building around Brown and Tatum, speculation about Brown’s availability has notably increased around the league. It is an ongoing topic of conversation among sources familiar with both players. Moving Brown would appear highly unlikely until after this season and seems more plausible ahead of 2022-23. But as long as Boston floats on the periphery of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, league personnel will monitor Brown’s status and if the Celtics inch closer toward pivoting in a new direction.“I think they’re starting to get to a place where they don’t think he and Jayson Tatum can coexist,” said another assistant general manager."

Ideally, the Celtics would build a team that could win with Tatum and Brown as your top two players. However, that simply hasn’t happened. They’ve struggled to break through in the Eastern Conference and appear to have taken steps back as a franchise in each of the last two seasons.

With as much talent as this team has, this franchise can’t continue to disappoint. And if the Celtics can’t turn it around this season, you’d have to imagine that the clock will be ticking. And if the franchise wants to make a big move, it will likely have to come at the expense of Tatum or Brown.

It may not seem likely now, but there’s a very real scenario where the Celtics are having to choose between their two star players in the not-so-distant future.