Rockets’ patient approach continues to backfire after shocking Jaylen Brown trade

In a stunning trade, Jaylen Brown was sent from the Boston Celtics to their bitter rival, the Philadelphia 76ers. The most surprising part was the price. Philadelphia gave up Paul George, an aging star on a massive contract, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.

At that price, Houston should have gotten involved. Jaylen Brown was never worth the four first-round picks Boston reportedly wanted initially, but he was definitely worth the price the 76ers gave up for him.

Brown proved he can be a No. 1 option

Brown is coming off a career year, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists. What was most impressive about his season was how he stepped up to lead the team in the absence of injured superstar Jayson Tatum. Boston finished second in the East with 56 wins, despite Tatum only playing 16 games this season. The Celtics have Brown’s career year to thank for that.

After a season like that, it is not totally clear why Boston felt the need to trade Brown. There were rumors that he did not feel appreciated in Boston and wanted to be the clear No. 1 option on a team. Those are just rumors, but given the urgency Boston seemed to be operating with, there may have been truth to them.

Regardless of why, if Boston felt like it had to trade Brown for what was essentially salary matching and two first-round picks, Houston should have gotten involved in the negotiations.

Houston had better packages to offer

Houston could have offered multiple packages. One option would have been swapping Kevin Durant for Brown. Durant is an amazing player, but Brown’s age and durability would have better aligned with the Rockets’ long-term timeline.

Durant, like Paul George, is at the tail end of his career. However, unlike George, he remains a borderline elite player coming off an All-NBA Second Team selection.

Another package Houston could have offered would have been built around Reed Sheppard. Including Sheppard, Fred VanVleet and Dorian Finney-Smith would have gotten Houston close to Brown’s salary.

VanVleet and Finney-Smith are on expiring deals, with Finney-Smith only having one guaranteed year left on his three-year deal. Sheppard is also a young player with the potential to grow into an impact player.

In my mind, the player-based return in either of those packages would have been more appealing than building a deal around George. If Houston also needed to include up to two first-round picks to push the deal over the edge, then it should not have hesitated.

Now, it is too late for Houston. Rafael Stone appears comfortable entering next season with a healthier version of the current roster, but given the price of star players who have been traded this offseason, it is fair to wonder whether that patience is the right approach.

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