6 Players Scottie Barnes should be recruiting during All-Star weekend
By Tyler Watts
5. Jaylen Brown
It is a championship-or-bust season in Boston. The Celtics added Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday to maximize their title odds. If they fall short, more changes could be on the horizon in Boston. They do not have much room to maneuver and figure to be over the second tax apron, which makes Brown the most likely trade candidate.
The three-time All-Star begins a five-year $286.2 million contract next season where he makes north of $65 million by the final campaign in 2028-29. The salary cap continues to rise, but that is a massive contract for a wing who is unlikely to be the best player on a championship team.
Do the Celtics finally split up the J’s if they fail to win a championship in 2024? They reached the NBA Finals in 2022 and have made the conference five times in the last seven years. Boston is eager to break through and win a championship. Both players are still young, but the Celtics traded Marcus Smart in the 2023 offseason. Anything is possible if they do not win it all.
The Toronto Raptors would welcome an elite wing even if it cost them a significant price. Scottie Barnes and Jaylen Brown could follow the path of the current Celtics duo. Brown has helped Boston become a perennial contender, and the Raptors would love to reach that status.