Danny Ainge Didn't Want To Trade Jaylen Brown For James Harden, Says Kendrick Perkins

Originally posted on Fadeaway World | By Orlando Silva | Last updated 10/23/21

Even though he doesn't get the same attention as other young players like Devin Booker, Ben Simmons, and even teammate Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown is one of the best talents in the NBA right now.

The Boston Celtics young star has improved his game season after season, becoming one of the most exciting players for the future. The C's are really high on him, and last year, Danny Ainge proved that when he refused to trade Brown for a former NBA MVP.

Recently, Kendrick Perkins revealed a phone call with the former Celtics GM where he said he'd trade Jaylen Brown for James Harden. Ainge instantly shut down that idea, praising Brown's progress and sticking by the player.

Via NBC Sports:

"I remember last year around this time when teams were calling about James Harden and Houston actually wanted Jaylen Brown," Perkins said Friday on Celtics Pregame Live. "I was on the phone with Danny Ainge for an hour, and I remember how our conversation went. He was like, 'Hey, Perk, would you trade Jaylen Brown for James Harden?' And I was like, 'Danny, you know how I feel about Jaylen Brown, but I would trade him for James Harden.' He was like, ' Are you kidding me? He's not going anywhere. He's not even 25 and he keeps getting better.'

"And then all of a sudden, Danny didn't make the trade, [Jaylen] made the All-Star team, had a breakout year, and now he just keeps getting better. Jaylen Brown is a true professional, he works hard, and people say he's under-appreciated, but I would say people appreciate him now."

Brown is a key part of the Celtics' future plans. They know that he and Jayson Tatum are the cornerstones of their project, and neither is going anywhere. Although the Celtics are winless in two games, Jaylen started this season playing great, dropping 46 points on the New York Knicks in the season opener.

They aren't expected to make some noise this year, but the Celtics' future looks bright as long as they have JT and Brown on board. This is an interesting duo that could bring a lot of joy to the TD Garden.