NBA Trades: 5 Jaylen Brown trades the Celtics must consider
By Ari Schwartz
New York Knicks
The Package: R.J. Barrett, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, 2023 top ten protected first-round pick via Dallas, 2025 first-round pick via Milwaukee
How it benefits the Celtics
Similar to the Hawks’ package, this offer would provide the Celtics with three players who aren’t near Brown’s level individually, but all-in-all would have a similar impact. Barrett, Toppin, and Quickley are also all young players who are probably still far from their ceilings.
Barrett’s fourth season is coming to a close and he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. An inconsistent jump shot and lack of elite ball control have held him back, but he’s still only 22 years old and has shown the ability to contribute to winning basketball. Perhaps being in a more winning situation could help him reach his ceiling.
Quickley, on the other hand, has already exceeded expectations for his career at only 23 years old, competing with Celtics’ guard Malcolm Brogdon for Sixth Man Of The Year honors. Toppin is also an intriguing young prospect who, in the right situation, could be a very impactful player, yet hasn’t seen the court all that often in his first three seasons.
How it benefits the Knicks
The Knicks passed on the chance to acquire Donovan Mitchell last summer due to Utah’s extremely high price tag. That decision surprisingly paid off, as New York has had a successful season, soon to finish fifth in the Eastern Conference. However, many still anticipate New York to be in the market for a star player this summer.
Brown would fit the bill. His high-intensity play would certainly be appreciated by Head Coach Tom Thibodeau, and he would provide a scoring boost that could take the Knicks over the top in the postseason. Additionally, the price tag isn’t too high, only having to give up two young players who have struggled to develop in New York, one great young player who as impactful as he is, may never flourish behind Jalen Brunson, and two out of the 6 picks the team owns in the next two years.