How the Celtics' Jaylen Brown debacle could hijack the Kawhi Leonard trade rumors

It’s one thing for a team to have trade interest in a star, but it’s an entirely different conversation when that team reportedly wants a star “bad.” And right as trade rumblings around Kawhi Leonard’s possible return to the Toronto Raptors are picking up steam, the Boston Celtics find themselves in a prime position to play the spoiler role and maybe, just maybe, make things a whole lot crazier than initially expected. Is it thanks to the Jaylen Brown trade rumors? You bet. As ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill reported, the Clippers want to land Brown “bad.”

In a recent rundown of NBA free agency and the ongoing trade rumors swirling across the league, Goodwill spoke about the situation with Brown and cited the Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets as teams who have registered interest.

But the Toronto Raptors are eyeing a Leonard reunion, so does the Clippers’ interest in Brown even matter? It could absolutely cause some chaos, especially depending on the Leonard situation.

“One executive told ESPN that the Clippers ‘want Brown bad,'” Goodwill reported. “Execs believe the Celtics are canvassing the league to figure out what Brown’s true value is, as he has three years left on his contract.”

Obviously, the Celtics and Clippers don’t necessarily need to intensify their own trade talks involving Brown and Leonard for this to shake things up, but Los Angeles‘ interest in the 29-year-old guard could create a domino effect.

I’d consider this to be the most likely outcome. If the Celtics are interested in any initial trade talks they’ve had with the Clippers about Brown, then it could directly affect what Los Angeles seeks in exchange for the 34-year-old. A package for Leonard could be tailored to pieces the Celtics have interest in, thereby making the Clippers’ eventual offer for Brown even stronger or better suited to exactly what Boston wants to acquire.

So, while this possible outcome doesn’t publicly involve the Brown and Leonard trade rumors crossing paths, it does create an interesting behind-the-scenes narrative that could prompt the Clippers to tailor their return for Leonard to prioritize an immediate turnaround deal for Brown.

It also opens the door to a potential three-team trade, and much of that hinges on whether the pieces align for all parties involved. I certainly wouldn’t rule out a three-team trade that moves Leonard to Toronto and Brown to Los Angeles, with the Celtics picking up a nice haul in return.