Celtics Could Break Up Star Duo

It’s not been the most memorable of seasons for the Celtics as things stand; with an up and down record, it’s led to people suggesting that changes need to be made for the team to achieve its potential. However, it seems that one of the moves being suggested is splitting up the formidable pairing of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

Although Jake Fischer from Bleacher Report suggests a move is in the offing, it’s not imminent despite all the speculation: “I don’t know if that will get broken up this season, but I think sometime in the next 12-18 months we’re really going to start to hear conversations about the future of Boston with Jaylen Brown heading out the door,” he said.

It is fair to say that some will see it as a surprise move, especially when Brown and Tatum appear to complement each other so much. As Brown recently returned from a hamstring injury, he helped the Celtics defeat the current NBA champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.

But while the win was welcome, it’s not expected to kickstart a push into the postseason as things stand, which has led to the increased talk about the pair being broken up. The Celtics are currently not amongst the favorites with Bwin for the NBA Championship, and change might be needed to freshen up for a serious charge. They’re not been in the Championship game since 2010, and haven’t lifted the title since 2008. For a team with the second-highest number of finals appearances (21) and the joint-highest number of wins (17), that’s simply not acceptable. While it’s clear that the Celtics head coach, Ime Udoka, has to do something to reignite the passion at the TD Garden to get them back in the hunt for silverware, it’s quite an eye-opener to think which of the duo could be on their way out of Massachusetts.

Brown’s potential replacements have already been mooted with Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons being heavily linked with a move to the Celtics after he made it clear to his current club that he wanted to move away from the Wells Fargo Center. It’s been a turbulent time for the 25-year-old Australian who hasn’t featured for the 76ers since the playoffs ended for Doc Rivers’ side in June against the Atlanta Hawks. Simmons’ performances in the series led to criticism which it appears he’s struggled to deal with; he reported himself unfit to play back in October and hasn’t spoken to anyone at the club since. But it’s believed he is keen to get onto the court again, albeit away from the 76ers.

Although Brown has been the MVP this season for the Celtics in some people’s eyes despite the team’s slow start, his per-game averages continue to impress. But with his recent injury woes and his arguably bigger trading value, it points towards the Celts leveraging his all-star status to bring in someone to complement further the talents of the likes of Tatum, Al Horford, and the potential of Dennis Schroder in the long term.