The Rockets are rumored to be after Jaylen Brown, but prying him away from the Boston Celtics could prove to be quite difficult.
The Houston Rockets were recently said to be interested in acquiring Boston Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown as soon as this offseason. Brown has ties to the Rockets organization, playing under their current coach Ime Udoka in Boston.
In a recent article by Bleacher Report, Dan Favale added fuel to the fire, proposing a four-team trade that sent Brown to Houston.
Rockets acquire: Jaylen Brown, Marcus Sasser
Celtics acquire: Saddiq Bey, Trey Murphy III, Jabari Smith Jr., Phoenix’s 2027 first-round pick (via HOU)
Pelicans acquire: Dorian Finney-Smith, Caris LeVert, No. 21 pick (via DET), No. 27 pick (via BOS), HOU 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick (most favorable from HOU, DAL or PHX, via HOU)
Pistons acquire: Fred VanVleet, No. 39 pick (via HOU)
To complete this deal, VanVleet would have to opt in to the final year of his current contract, a likely outcome considering he was sidelined for the entire 2025-26 season due to injury.
All in all, Houston would be acquiring Brown and Sasser for Jabari Smith Jr., Fred VanVleet, the No. 39 overall pick, two 2027 first-round picks and a 2029 first-round pick.
Although Houston may not want to give up more draft capital after sending last year’s No. 10 overall selection to the Suns for Kevin Durant, there’s reason to believe that Houston needs a significant upgrade to compete with the likes of Oklahoma City and San Antonio in the Western Conference. If the Rockets’ front office would rather keep Durant for this pursuit instead of building a younger core around Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, acquiring Brown may be their best bet. That said, competition could be fierce for the former NBA Finals MVP as New Orleans, Portland and Atlanta are said to be interested as well.
