The Golden State Warriors reportedly had the ability to match or even surpass the Philadelphia 76ers’ trade package for Jaylen Brown, but talks with the Boston Celtics never progressed beyond the early stages.
Speaking on the Celtics Daily podcast, Danny Emerman said Golden State was positioned to make a competitive offer but that negotiations never became serious.
“Conversations between the Warriors and the Celtics never got really serious. I think it was kind of like a preliminary stage situation,” Emerman said. “I think the Warriors could have matched or exceeded Philadelphia’s offer fairly easily, and Jaylen Brown is the exact type of player that they need.”
According to Emerman, Brown would have addressed one of Golden State’s biggest roster needs by easing the offensive burden on Stephen Curry during the regular season.
“They need someone who can carry them through the regular season to take the load off of Steph Curry, and that’s even independent of if adding Jaylen Brown might have put them over the top for LeBron James,” he added.
The Warriors finished the 2025-26 season with a 37-45 record, placing 10th in the Western Conference before missing a deeper postseason run. Curry remained highly productive, averaging 26.6 points, 4.7 assists and shooting 39.3% from three in 43 games, but injuries limited his availability once again. Jimmy Butler also appeared in just 38 games, while Kristaps Porzingis played only 15, leaving Golden State without consistent secondary scoring throughout the season.
Brown would have filled that void. The 29-year-old forward delivered the best season of his career in 2025-26, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 47.7% from the field across 71 games. He earned his fourth All-Star selection, made the All-NBA Second Team and finished sixth in MVP voting.
Boston, however, ultimately completed a deal with Philadelphia instead of engaging in advanced negotiations with Golden State. While the exact reasons behind the Celtics’ decision remain unclear, Emerman suggested internal dynamics may have influenced the franchise’s willingness to move Brown.
“They’re all saying some cryptic stuff on social media now and that stuff is gonna filter out eventually and I’d imagine that was probably a bigger factor than most are assuming,” he said.
Emerman believes the relationship between Brown and longtime teammate Jayson Tatum may have played a larger role in Boston’s decision than has been publicly acknowledged.
The Celtics entered the offseason after a 56-26 campaign that earned them the Atlantic Division title and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Their season ended with a first-round Game 7 loss to Philadelphia, a series in which Boston surrendered the final two games after holding a 3-2 advantage.
