The Boston Celtics getting bounced from the Eastern Conference Semifinals was more than just the end of their postseason. It marked the end of the dynasty that brought Boston its first chip since the Kevin Garnett days. And while he recovers from injury, Jaylen Brown’s ties with a head coach in the West may end up deciding his future.
NBA insider Kevin O’Connor was discussing the movement we might see during the upcoming offseason. And while he couldn’t confirm whether Brown would be traded, he floated the possibility. In doing so, he revealed how the Houston Rockets were a “perfect” match for Jaylen Brown. And it all came down to his relationship with head coach Ime Udoka.
“Houston’s a perfect team. Cause Ime Udoka, him and Jalen Brown are tight. Like, I think if Boston sends Jalen anywhere, they’re not going to send him to some sad franchise that’s not winning anything. I think that they’re going to do right by Jalen and would send him to a team that feels like there’s actually a chance in a place that he’d want to be. And to me, Houston is like quite obviously like, top of that list on paper,” said Kevin O’Connor.
CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 21: Jaylen Brown 7 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the first half against the Chicago Bulls on December 21, 2024 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire NBA, Basketball Herren, USA DEC 21 Celtics at Bulls EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon241221092
Jaylen Brown has never shied away from giving Udoka credit for the positive impact he had on him. See, Brown and Udoka spent a year together before the Boston Celtics fired Udoka for undisclosed violations of the team’s rules. But in that time, it seems Udoka played a pivotal role in letting Brown find his own style of basketball.
“I think Ime was great for us because we were kind of used to playing in Brad’s system and Ime, when he came about, he made the system kind of around us,” said the 28-year-old. He added, “Ime was more like, figure it out, empowered us to go play, go hoop, and be who we are, and it was different for us. It definitely helped us grow as basketball players.”
Before Jaylen Brown possibly reunites with his beloved former coach, he has another battle to conquer. And that’s his road to recovery from the knee injury he’s been dealing with for a while now. But we finally have an update on the Celtics star’s recovery after he underwent surgery.
Jaylen Brown gives fans an update after having knee surgery
Jaylen Brown became a regular fixture on the Celtics’ injury report this season. And it was all because of the knee issue that refused to go away. But now, the 2024 Finals MVP has successfully undergone arthroscopic knee surgery to address this issue. And on his Instagram story, he gave us an update on how things are going, just a day after the procedure.
Jaylen posted a picture of himself in recovery. He sat with what seemed like a breathing mask on his face, sporting a knee sleeve on his knee. But the encouraging bit was how Jaylen Brown gave the camera a thumbs up—a sign that all’s going well after his surgery. And regardless of where he ends up this summer, this is great news.
Meanwhile, let’s go back to Kevin O’ Connor to understand how this surgery may affect Brown’s move. “This is a surgery that’s so routine nowadays for players that another team might feel like, oh, wow, this knee issue that we were worried about during the postseason, all solved. Like he’s all good now,” said O’Connor.
So, turns out this surgery helped Jaylen’s chances of a move instead of hurting them. If you’re a fan of the Boston Celtics, it’s bad news. But for a fan of the various teams linked with Brown? Well, this is some of the best news you’ll hear. After all, Brown won the Finals MVP just a little over a year ago. And regardless of the team, he’s still among the best in the NBA. Rest assured, this Jaylen Brown trade saga will keep us on the edges of our seats all summer!
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