Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens didn't shut down the idea of potentially trading Jaylen Brown, but he said the five-time All-Star remains important to the team.
"Jaylen Brown is a big part of us," Stevens said after the first round of the NBA draft, according to ESPN's Ben Golliver. "I'm never going to predict the future. Every indication, everything I think about, over the last few years, has been building around those guys.
"You never know. But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he's always been. He's been amazing. He's been an amazing teammate and a great person to be around."
Boston reportedly included Brown in a trade package offered to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo this week. The Bucks ultimately dealt Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, but the Celtics apparently remain open to offers for Brown.
Brown is under contract through the 2028-29 season after signing a five-year, $285.4-million extension in 2023. However, he's eligible to sign a two-year, $141.9-million extension starting July 26.
The 29-year-old is coming off a career season with the Celtics after being the team's top offensive weapon with Jayson Tatum sidelined for most of the year. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 71 regular-season contests en route to earning All-NBA second-team honors. The former third overall pick also finished sixth in MVP voting.
Brown dropped 33 points in Boston's Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs and was the team's leading scorer in the postseason.
Stevens said the two sides have had one-on-one meetings, and they remain in contact with Brown's agent.
"With all the rumor mill and all that stuff, and his name being splashed all over the place, that's not easy," Stevens said. "We certainly wanted to be as proactive and up-front with that as possible.
"I thought we had really good, candid conversations. ... I'll always keep our conversations private. It's appropriate regardless of what the content of those conversations is like."
The Celtics selected Houston forward Chris Cenac Jr. with the 27th overall pick on Tuesday night. Round 2 of the draft takes place Wednesday.
