The New York Knicks just won an NBA Championship. But a summer of rumors has already commenced. Luckily, the Knicks aren’t involved. However, if Jaylen Brown does end up getting traded, he and Jalen Brunson will share more than an NBA Finals MVP (and a first name): They’ll share a desire to beat the Celtics.
New York and Boston don’t like each other. The Knicks, and therefore Brunson, always want to beat the Celtics. And vice versa. So, if the Celtics trade Brown, then they will share that bond. Because if Boston trades Brown, it’s safe to say he won’t hold back when he comes back to TD Garden to play his old team.
Brunson and Brown, in that respect, would be on the same page.
Jaylen Brown may soon hate the Celtics as much as Jalen Brunson
Right now, the Knicks are still celebrating. New York is still celebrating. As they should. Winning a championship doesn’t happen every day. Or, in the Knicks’ case, it doesn’t happen in 53 years.
However, the offseason has already begun. For most teams around the NBA, it’s been going on for weeks. Trade rumors have already completely engulfed most teams around the league.
In the case of the Celtics, they are completely encased in Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors. And lately, the noise has gotten a lot louder regarding the possibility.
Should the Celtics actually make a move for Antetokounmpo, it would almost certainly include Brown leaving. But the Milwaukee Bucks reportedly don’t want him. So, he’d go to a third team.
One of the teams that has supposedly been interested in taking on Brown as a third team is the Atlanta Hawks. And if Brown stays in-conference, the rivalry with the Celtics would be even more potent.
Whenever the Knicks and Celtics play each other, there’s always a little extra oomph to the matchup. New York has the edge right now. Not only are the Knicks the reigning champs, but they also beat the Celtics in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
It’s safe to say that Brunson isn’t the biggest Celtics fan. And if the Celtics traded Brown, he probably wouldn’t be a big fan, either.
There are a lot of Jalens (Jaylens, Jaylins, etc.) around the league. Almost too many to count. But if the Celtics trade Brown, it would just add another Jalen to the list of Jalens who don’t like them.
Brown and Brunson, for the first time in years, would be in agreement on that, if nothing else.
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