Stevens reveals what he told Jaylen Brown about Ben Simmons rumors originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Ben Simmons trade rumors were revived earlier this week when The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported the Boston Celtics had expressed interest in acquiring the Philadelphia 76ers point guard.
He also reported that the Sixers wanted Jaylen Brown as the centerpiece of any Simmons trade with the Celtics.
The reaction to this report was intense, with most people laughing it off or expressing how trading Brown for Simmons made little to no sense for Boston. One of the most passionate responses came from former Celtics center Kendrick Perkins, who tweeted “the thought of trading Jaylen Brown for Ben Simmons is beyond disturbing to me!”
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The report garnered so much attention that Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens addressed it with Brown himself.
“I just walked up to Jaylen and said, ‘Hey, your name’s all over the place, as you know. Obviously, from our standpoint, you’re a Celtic and a guy that we obviously think exceptionally high of, and, you know, nothin’ doin’,’” Stevens said Thursday on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Rich” show. “I just wanted to make sure he had that peace of mind.”
Brown is enjoying the best start to a season of his career. He leads the Celtics with 25.6 points per game, while also shooting just under 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from 3-point range.
The All-Star guard is currently unable to play because of a hamstring injury, but if the first few weeks are any indication, the 2021-22 campaign is likely to be Brown’s best as a Celtic.