Lakers Celtics have discussed big deal Brown will join forces with Doncic and Reevesga will exchange five first round picks

The latest report from the well-known NBA reporter Shams Sharania, the Lakers showed a strong interest in getting Jaylen Brown in the trade, and contacted the Celtics for some substantial discussions, including Austin Reeves, Kneckett and the next five first-round draft picks.

With Porzingis and Ju Holiday being traded, several teams are trying to convince the Celtics to give up Jaylen Brown, although President Stevens tends to not give up Brown and has not stopped other teams from testing the price code the Celtics want to trade Jaylen Brown. The Lakers are the most active and active teams pursuing Brown recently. Robert Pelinka called Stevens many times to try to form the core combination of Doncic and Brown. Almost all team executives firmly believe that the Lakers' goal is to win the starting center, but Pelinka is also exploring other possibilities, including the introduction of Jaylen Brown.

"Currently, the question facing the Celtics is, is Brown or White worth the money?" Salanya said that Brown is in a super contract period of $304 million, with a salary of $53.1 million in the 2025-26 season, and the maximum maximum salary contract needs to be fulfilled in the next four years. Brown did not stop making progress after signing a huge contract, and many teams were willing to bear Brown's super maximum salary, and the Lakers didn't care about Brown's salary of more than $61 million in the last two years. After the Lakers changed hands, new boss Mark Walter accelerated the process of competing for the championship. The most critical part of this plan is to introduce another superstar around Doncic.

"The Lakers understand that the amount of Brown's contract is indeed very high." Salanya said, "But all teams know that the NBA league, especially the West, has shown this momentum, and almost every team is crazy about expanding the team's lineup. Even a team on the edge of the playoffs, the goal of next season is to strive to make a difference. Many signs show that there will be a large number of transactions between the eastern and western teams, among which the Lakers and the Celtics' transactions are particularly eye-catching." Due to Tatum's Achilles tendon torn, the 2025-26 season may face reimbursement. The Celtics' future salary pressure is huge, and reducing the team's total salary to below the luxury tax collection line has become an urgent task. The Lakers are just the opposite, hoping to successfully build a dynasty team around Doncic in the next two or three seasons.

"In recent trading conversations, the Lakers' senior executives have made it clear that there are no non-selling players except Doncic." Sharania revealed, "The Lakers can give up any chips, not only young players such as Reeves and Kneckett, but even James is no longer an untradeable player." For the Celtics, Reeves' contract is very meaningful. His contract is only $28 million for two years, and his salary next season will be only $13.94 million, which is very conducive to the Celtics' plan to reduce their salary. Several executives also confirmed that the new Lakers boss is positive about giving up Reeves.

Reeves are valuable, but Brown's experience and defensive abilities can help the Lakers gain a competitive advantage in the Western Conference. Lakers owner Mark Walter and Long Rosen, who is involved in managing Lakers’ basketball affairs, are exploring bold lineup adjustments to strengthen the championship goal. "Many team executives are paying close attention to the Celtics' dynamics, which is also an important task for Pelinka," Sharania continued. "Similar to the Lakers, the Celtics have just welcomed a new team boss. But unlike the Lakers' increase in team salaries, the newly formed management of the Celtics is seeking to cut costs for next season."

The Lakers also offer at least five first-round picks, including first-round picks in 2026, 2028, 2031, and two first-round pick swaps, which may be 2027 and 2030 draft pick swaps. The Lakers' first-round draft picks in 2029 have been traded to the Mavericks. In other words, the Lakers have almost given up all draft picks in the next five years for the deal, as well as the two young players with the most potential and value. There is no doubt that the trading plan provided by the Lakers forced the Celtics to seriously consider it. Considering the actual influence brought by Brown as a FMVP and the joint efforts of Doncic on both the back offense and defense, the huge price the Lakers paid seems worth it.

‌Jeren Brown is only 28 years old and has almost never suffered major injuries in his nine seasons of his career. He averaged 22.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game in 11 playoffs this season. As a defender, Brown has both offense and defense, and does not need to hold a lot of balls to achieve top performance on the offensive end, which will not affect Doncic's performance at all. This is also the reason why the Lakers firmly believe that Brown and Doncic can truly realize the championship plan, so they are willing to pay the best team assets in the next few years in the transaction.