“You’re a Celtic and a guy that we obviously we think exceptionally high of” – Brad Stevens reassures Jaylen Brown after rumors of Ben Simmons trade emerge

Less than a week ago, Ben Simmons was at the center of another trade rumor, this time concerning a potential trade deal with the Boston Celtics for Jaylen Brown. But the Celtics head of basketball operations Brad Stevens got in front to quell any unease Brown might be feeling with the circulating rumor.

Stevens, via a phone conversation on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher and Rich, explained that he had a conversation with Jaylen Brown to put his mind at ease.

“I just walked up to Jaylen and said, ‘Hey, your name’s all over the place, as you know. Obviously, from our standpoint, you’re a Celtic and a guy that we obviously we think exceptionally high of, and, you know, nothin’ doin’,'” Stevens said.

The former head coach saw the rumor as a joke and opted to clear the air with Jaylen Brown.

“I laugh,” Stevens said. “I’ve just been through it so much over the last however many years. It’s not necessarily that – I know everybody has their own thing and has to react to everything. But the way things are written, the way that stories take hold, the way that rumors catch fire, I’ve just been through it too much over the last however many years to pay much attention.”

The rumor was first reported by Chris Grenham, a Boston Celtics writer for Forbes Sports, citing The Athletic’s Shams Charania as the source. As per reports, the Celtics had reached out to the Philadelphia 76ers front office and indicated their interest in acquiring the services of Ben Simmons, with Jaylen Brown as the desired tradeable asset.

How has Jaylen Brown performed so far in the 2021-22 NBA season?

While the trade deal has looked appealing to some, giving away their second-best scorer might not be a wise choice for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown is currently leading the C’s in scoring, averaging 25.6 points per game.

In a season where Jayson Tatum has struggled from the field, Jaylen Brown has stepped up big for the C’s. The Celtics are underperforming and are on a 5-6, ranked 11th in the Eastern Conference standings.

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Ben Simmons will be a significant boost to the Celtics’ defense, but his offensive inadequacies will be costly for the Celtics. Although Jaylen Brown is not yet close to being the elite defender that Simmons is, he is a decent perimeter threat on both ends of the court.