Representative for Sixers the wing Jaylen Brown disputed the report that he was seeking a trade from Boston or presented Celtics with a list of requirements, according to ESPN’s Chris Romewho says the source called the claim “10,000% false.”
In the footsteps of the recent one back and further featuring former Celtics teammates Brown and Jason TatumNBC Sports Boston analyst Brian Scalabrine said on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Monday (Twitter audio link) that he heard Brown “demanded” to be traded, shared a “demand list” with the organization and was “supportive” of being sent to Milwaukee.
This account is in stark contrast to the reporting during an offseason trade who sent Brown from Boston to Philadelphia. Back on July 1, several NBA insiders, including ESPN’s Shams Charania, reported that the former Finals MVP had not requested a trade and suggested that the Celtics’ attempts to move him were front office-initiated.
Brown’s representative, who spoke with Rome, conveyed a similar message, telling ESPN that the five-time All-Star never asked to be traded for Bucks and that’s after a potential deal involving Janice Antecumba failed, and Boston continued its efforts to move Brown, his only request being for information on his final destination.
Revisiting his comments to SiriusXM NBA Radio later in the day on NBC Sports Boston, Scalabrine backtracked somewhat on his original statement, saying Brown “technically” did not request a trade and adding that he had “no idea” what the 30-year-old was asking the team for (Link to video on Twitter).
“I don’t know what the ultimatum was, or the demands, or what it was.” Scalabrine said. “So technically he didn’t ask to be traded. It was, ‘Do these things right here, or else.’ And one of them could have been, ‘Give me a $140 million extension.’
While reports in June and July did not indicate that Brown had requested a trade, there was speculation at the time that the Celtics feared that including him in an offer for Antecump would create a rift between the team and the star wing that would be difficult to repair — especially after rumors of his potential displeasure surfaced. came earlier in the offseason. If the front office believed that a new contract extension might be necessary to mend the relationship between the two sides, that could line up with Scalabrino’s interpretation of how the situation unfolded.