Celtics predicted to 'secretly' explore trade involving $285 million NBA Finals MVP

Celtics predicted to 'secretly' explore trade involving $285 million NBA Finals MVP originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Celtics have a pivotal Game 7 first-round postseason clash against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.

The Celtics jumped out to an early 3-1 series lead following a dominant 128-96 victory last Sunday, but have come up short in their last two close-out games (113-97 loss in Game 5 and 106-93 loss in Game 6). A Game 7 win would temporarily silence the Celtics’ doubters and keep the franchise’s title hopes alive.

However, a loss would likely prompt many to speculate about the future of the franchise’s Big 3 in Boston. According to Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, there’s a good chance the Celtics could ‘secretly’ explore a trade involving their 29-year-old NBA Finals MVP.

“How far the Boston Celtics make it in the 2026 playoffs will ultimately decide just how safe veterans like Brown and White are,” Swartz wrote Wednesday. An early playoff exit will undoubtedly have teams calling about both, and Boston should at least listen to offers given the season Brown is coming off of.”

“His stock is at an all-time high after averaging a career-best 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists, primarily as a No. 1 option while worked his way back to the court. He's still owed a whopping $183.1 million over the next three years (over $61 million per season).”