[Watch] Jaylen Brown Pushes Himself to the Limit in Offseason Workout
With his name swirling in trade rumors yet again, Jaylen Brown knows he can't let that distract him from his priorities, including preparing for the upcoming NBA season.
Brown was the Celtics' second-leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 23.1 points and 6.9 boards, in a playoff run that came within two wins of capturing the Larry O'Brien Trophy. He also led Boston in scoring in the NBA Finals, generating 23.5 points per game.
As he enters his prime, Brown, who turns 26 in October, is likely to continue spearheading the Celtics' efforts to raise banner 18 to the rafters in TD Garden, alongside Jayson Tatum.
While Kevin Durant is a former league MVP and an all-time great player, there are too many risks involved with trading Brown for him, and recent evidence suggests the franchise has reached a verdict on the matter.
Thanks to the additions of Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari, which came without subtracting any of the mainstays of Boston's playoff rotation, as constructed, some, such as FanDuel Sportsbook, view the Celtics as the betting favorite to win the championship this season.
And if Brown, a six-year veteran, stays with Boston and makes an All-NBA team, takes home the MVP, or earns Defensive Player of the Year, he'll become eligible for a five-year, $273 million veteran supermax extension. If he gets traded, his new team cannot offer him that contract, even if Brown reaches those benchmarks.
It seems like a safe bet he's playing his home games in Boston this season, but even if that's not the case, his deal expires in two years, giving him contractual and championship motivations to push himself to the limit this offseason. Not to get carried away over one video, but Brown's underwater workout suggests he's doing just that.
Further Reading
[Video] Jayson Tatum Shows Out at CrawsOver Pro-Am
Here's What Stands Out About the Celtics' Schedule
How Much of a Rest Advantage Do the Celtics Have This Season?
Report: Celtics Won't Make Robert Williams Available in Kevin Durant Trade Talks