NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Jaylen Brown Trade, Kyrie Irving, Domantas Sabonis

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The NBA rumor mill is in a state of perpetual movement.

Don’t expect that to change between now and the Dec. 10 trade deadline.

While the unique circumstances of the current COVID-19 environment have largely transformed the normal rumor rumbles, there’s still the usual trade chatter that’s always attached to this time on the calendar.

We’ll break down those conversations around two All-Stars while also shining light on the return of another elite.

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Raise your hand if you were confused when Jaylen Brown was mentioned in the Ben Simmons sweepstakes. A quick scan of the room reveals all hands are raised—including our own.

That’s because up until this point, Brown, a 25-year-old All-Star in the heart of his prime, was seemingly regarded by Boston as a building block, not a trade chip. Apparently, that mindset hasn’t changed.

While Grant doesn’t quite hold untouchable status for the Celtics, they’d reportedly need “something huge—like Damian Lillard-level huge” to consider cutting Brown loose, according to Sports Illustrated‘s Chris Mannix (via HoopsHype).

Truth be told, there probably isn’t much difference between designating Brown as off-limits and demanding this level of a return for him. Unless the trade market breaks in an unexpected direction or the Celtics have a different definition than the rest of us of “Lillard-level huge,” then any trade talks around Brown can probably be swiftly dismissed.

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Back in mid-October, the Brooklyn Nets announced they had reached a decision that Kyrie Irving, unable to play in home games due to New York City’s vaccination requirement, would not be allowed to participate with the team as a part-time player.

Two months later, Brooklyn reversed course and decided Irving could rejoin the team in a part-time fashion.

What changed? Two things. First, the roster was ripped apart by injuries and illness, creating a massive workload for 30-something stars Kevin Durant and James Harden. Second, and maybe most importantly, those very same stars reportedly pushed the organization to reconsider its stance.

As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst relayed on the Hoop Collective podcast, Harden and Durant “made their opinions known on the position” of wanting Irving back in the fold.

You know the old adage about the NBA being a superstars’ league? Well, add this to the mountain of evidence suggesting that adage is 1,000 percent true.

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The Indiana Pacers are posting their lowest winning percentage in more than a decade (.424). On a very related note, they’re reportedly “moving toward a substantial rebuild,” per The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz.

Should that rebuilding effort include a trade of Domantas Sabonis, the Pacers won’t have a hard time sniffing out suitors.

While Sabonis’ established, star-level skills would hold obvious appeal to championship-hopefuls searching for that missing piece, he’s also on the radar of “teams that are maybe on the fringes or teams that are even just in the lottery,” per The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor (via HoopsHype).

Sabonis only turned 25 in May, so lottery teams who aren’t outright tanking could reasonably think they’ll be competitive soon enough to maximize his prime. For the fringe playoff teams, his ability to serve as an offensive hub from the high and low post and throw pinpoint passes to shooters, cutters and off-ball movers around him is the kind of skill that could elevate the entire roster upon his arrival.