Los Angeles Lakers Could Have Had Jaylen Brown

The Los Angeles Lakers could have drafted Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics).

Mar 7, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) before the game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Jaylen Brown is in the middle of another incredible season.

He helped the Celtics finish as the first seed in the Eastern Conference (64-18), and they are in the NBA Finals for the second time in the previous three years.

Currently, the Celtics have a 3-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks.

Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) reacts to the crowd during the fourth quarter during game three of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Brown is coming off a fantastic Game 3 where he put up 30 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and one block while shooting 12/22 from the field.

The Celtics won by a score of 106-99.

Jaylen Brown's CLUTCH jumper late in the 4th helped Boston secure the Game 3 victory 🌟 https://t.co/nIpQuumg2O pic.twitter.com/u0mlwvCAhf

— NBA (@NBA) June 13, 2024

The three-time NBA All-Star is one of the best players in the league and is in the prime of his career at 27.

What's interesting is that the Los Angeles Lakers could have had Brown.

The Lakers selected Brandon Ingram with the second pick in the 2016 NBA Draft out of Duke.

Following Ingram, the Celtics took Brown with the third pick (out of Cal).

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Jaylen Brown (California) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number three overall pick to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports / Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Ingram has been a very productive player and made the All-Star Game in 2020 (with the New Orleans Pelicans).

He spent the first three seasons of his career in Los Angeles before being sent to New Orleans as part of the blockbuster deal that landed the Lakers with Anthony Davis.

Feb 9, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) moves the ball up court ahead of Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

It's possible that even if the Lakers had selected Brown he would have been traded as part of the deal.

On the other hand, the hypothetical of Brown playing for the Lakers is an interesting one to ponder.

Jan 20, 2020; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) saves the ball from going our of bounds ahead of Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports / Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Game 4 of the NBA Finals will be on Friday evening in Dallas.