NBA Trade Rumor: Celtics & Pelicans Linked In Jaylen Brown Trade

June 16, 2026 ,

The Jaylen Brown trade rumors continue to percolate around the NBA. For the most part, of course, it's connected to the Boston Celtics' attempt to land Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks, with a third team connected as the conduit who would be glad to take the 2024 Finals MVP Brown. 

We heard on Monday that the Celtics might even be forced at this point to trade Brown regardless of whether they land Giannis or not. And it sounds like Celtics fans are resigned to that fact.

So this latest rumor links the Celtics with the New Orleans Pelicans, as a straight-up trade with Boston. One version of it could look something like this, per Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports:

New Orleans Pelicans receive:

  • Jaylen Brown

Boston Celtics receive:
  • Trey Murphy III
  • Herb Jones
  • Plus... 

“The New Orleans package with Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, and whatever other pieces, I think, is pretty intriguing with what they could do in (Celtics coach Joe) Mazzulla’s system alongside Jayson Tatum. I think those are winning players that have just been stuck on a losing team,” O'Connor wrote. 

But another version of a Brown to the Pelicans deal gets expands on that, as outlined by... who else, Bill Simmons:
In this one, the Celts still get Murphy & Jones, but now Cam Johnson is added with the Nuggets being the 3rd team in the deal, along with Yves Missi and a Nuggets first-rounder and a pick swap. Denver gets Sam Hauser for its troubles. 

Murphy, 26, had another tremendous season for the Pelicans and was a much sought-after piece at the trade deadline, though New Orleans had no intention of trading him at that point. He finished with 21.5 points per game, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists, very similar numbers to the year before. But he boosted his three-point percentage back up to the 38% range. 

Jones, 27, a 3-and-D wing, was also on the rumor mill at the deadline, and brings elite defense, able to guard nearly anyone on the floor. The "3" part of that 3-and-D monicker, however, has slipped the past couple of seasons, as he's been under 31% from long distance. 

The Pelicans definitely could use a shake-up, as they're coming off 26 and 21-win seasons. 


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