The Boston Celtics reportedly turned down a Jaylen Brown bid from at least one other Eastern Conference playoff hopeful.
The Celtics traded Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and draft compensation — a deal that left many fans and media members confused. With Brown coming off a season in which he garnered legitimate MVP votes, many felt as though Boston did not get fair value for its disgruntled All-Star.
According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, the Charlotte Hornets also made a bid for Brown. After trading LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Hornets reportedly offered Miles Bridges and the newly acquired Naz Reid plus draft compensation — a trade package Celtics GM Brad Stevens supposedly turned down.
Per Siegel, Boston wanted a trade centered around 23-year-old Hornets swingman Brandon Miller and multiple draft picks, which Charlotte had no interest in. The Hornets ended up trading Bridges to the Phoenix Suns days before Brown got moved to Philly.
While an aging Paul George was seen as a poor return for Brown, a Reid-Bridges combo deal would not have been much better either. Most saw Brown as potentially worth at least a young star like Miller.
But with Brown set to make around $60 million annually in each of the next three seasons, trading a young player on a much more team-friendly contract would be more difficult to stomach in the era of the second apron.
