Hawks Urged to Capitalize on Celtics' Rumored Trade Changes With Blockbuster Deal

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ashish Mathur | Last updated May 27, 2025 6:28 PM ET

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Boston Celtics will likely have a "different roster" next season.

The Celtics, who won the title in 2024 but lost in the second round of the playoffs this year, are currently set to have the most expensive roster in the NBA next season.

The new Boston ownership group presumably doesn't want to pay over $500 million for a team that will likely not be a championship contender since Jayson Tatum could miss all of next season recovering from his right Achilles tendon tear.

If the Celtics decide to make a blockbuster trade this summer to shed salary, one NBA analyst believes the Atlanta Hawks should call Boston.

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report is urging Atlanta to pursue 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown if Boston makes the swingman available in trade talks this summer.

"If financial stress causes the Celtics to listen to offers on Brown this summer, the Hawks should bite," Swartz wrote. "Pairing the 2024 NBA Finals MVP with Trae Young and Jalen Johnson would create an exciting Big Three in Atlanta. Brown grew up in Marietta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta."

Brown averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Celtics this season while shooting 46.3% from the field, 32.4% from 3 and 76.4% from the free-throw line.

A four-time All-Star, Brown finished this season with a partially torn right meniscus. The talented forward told Noa Dalzell of Celtics Blog he may undergo surgery this offseason.

"l got a lot of doctors I gotta get evaluated with — see the potential for surgery versus no surgery, wait to speak to the [Celtics] organization,” Brown said. “For now, it’s just rest and recovery. I’m taking a step back from a long season. Mentally, it was a lot of stuff going on.”

Brown will make $53.1 million next season. The California product has career averages of 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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