The Boston Celtics are fielding trade calls on Jaylen Brown and guard Derrick White as the franchise continues its summer roster reshaping, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.
Charania reported on SportsCenter that the front office is receiving “some massive offers, some pretty big-time calls” for both players. However, the organization has reportedly set a “high threshold” for any potential deal.
“It means them phone lines are ringing in Boston,” Charania said. “The Celtics have high threshold for both players.”
Brown, 28, averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists during the regular season, and added 22.1 points per game during the playoffs. He’s entering the second year of a five-year, $285 million supermax contract signed in July 2023.
White, who signed a four-year, $118 million extension last year, had a strong postseason showing, averaging 18.8 points on 38.5 percent from deep. During the regular season, he contributed 16.4 points and 4.8 assists per game while shooting over 44 percent from the field.
Despite Boston’s preference to keep its starting backcourt intact, financial pressures are driving ongoing discussions.
“This is a team that’s still in the first apron, still a luxury tax team,” Charania explained. “Just in the span of the last two days they’ve spent a $180 million in luxury tax savings.”
In a span of 48 hours, the Celtics traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. Holiday, a key piece of the 2024 title run, was dealt to Portland in exchange for Anfernee Simons and draft picks. Porzingis, meanwhile, was sent to Atlanta in a three-team deal that returned Georges Niang and a future second-rounder.
With Jayson Tatum recovering from Achilles surgery and potentially sidelined for the entire 2025–26 season, the Celtics’ approach appears focused on flexibility.
“Will a team match that price threshold that the Celtics, I’m told, have set around the league for Jaylen Brown and Derrick White to be able to get them? They are listening. But will a team get there?” Charania added.
Two names mentioned in potential conversations include Sam Hauser and Simons. Hauser, 27, recently signed a four-year, $45 million extension and shot 41.6 percent from three last season. Simons, 26, is entering the final year of his deal and averaged 19.3 points for the Trail Blazers.
Boston finished second in the Eastern Conference during the regular season with a 61–21 record but fell to the Knicks in the second round after Tatum’s injury in Game 4.
As the offseason unfolds, rival executives are monitoring whether Boston stays committed to its core—or takes the next step in dismantling it.
