There seems to be a consensus around the NBA that the Celtics are looking to change their perpetually underachieving roster. The idea of trading Jaylen Brown has been floated as the most likely possibility, considering his issues meshing with Jayson Tatum.
But the Celtics would fail to receive equal value in any trade involving Brown, meaning they would be taking a momentary step back. With that in mind, one NBA Insider says two sources believe the C's are actually looking to add a third star to pair with Tatum and Brown.
"There's been a lot of talk in recent days about the Celtics and whether it is 'working,' leading to the idea that Jaylen Brown could be moved," writes Matt Moore of Action Network. "Instead, two sources indicated that in recent talks the Celtics are focused on trying to add a third star to play with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum."
The question, of course, is who that third star may be. The Celtics were loosely linked to Ben Simmons over the offseason, but the 76ers' asking price for their absentee star may still be too much. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowksi and Zach Lowe report the Sixers have been "aggressive" in trying to land a top-25 player in exchange for Simmons, who still hasn't played this season.
On top of that, Simmons just signed a five-year, $177 million extension.
The idea of adding a third star to Tatum and Brown may seem tantalizing, but there are a lot of prohibitive factors. The 14-14 Celtics will host the Warriors Friday at the Garden.
