So we have some interesting commentary today from a couple of prominent NBA media members!
It seems something really "irked" ESPN about the Brad Stevens press conference, as we now have multiple ESPN personalities rejecting how he addressed the Boston media last week.
First and foremost were the comments this morning by ESPN personality Brian Windhorst, who claimed that the real reason the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown would be too offensive for the Celtics to verbalize at a press conference. Clearly, Windhorst is not accepting the explanation that the Celtics didn't want two players taking up 70% of the salary cap with such a high usage rate together. Windhorst is implying that Brad Stevens really wanted to tell the Boston media that it's not actually about the money, but that the Celtics simply didn't believe in Jaylen Brown as a player. This line of thinking isn't far-fetched, as the Celtics continue to have 70% of the salary cap tied up in two players after the trade, just with more "optionality."
Another ESPN personality, Tim MacMahon, went even further than Windhorst today when speaking on Brad Stevens and the Celtics ownership, saying, "I think they were full of crap. They were full of crap when they acted like the relationship with Jaylen Brown didn't deteriorate and wasn't a factor in this decision. It was the driving force in the decision." MacMahon hammered home the point that the Celtics, again, didn't make this decision based on money or the CBA, but rather because they had issues with Jaylen Brown as a player and simply wanted to move on.
Strong words today from both ESPN personalities, who apparently took issue with the Brad Stevens and Bill Chisholm press conference.
My opinion?
The truth always lies somewhere in the middle. Clearly, the Celtics felt an urgency to move on from Jaylen Brown. I understand their logic involving the hard cap the NBA now basically has, as well as improving the "optionality" of the roster. But there has to be more to it. I think the relationship had deteriorated, and the Boston Celtics felt they could no longer win at a high level with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown taking up 70% of the salary cap. The Celtics were being professional and trying not to slander Jaylen Brown as they showed him the door. Brad Stevens is trying to be respectful of a player who had tremendous success in Boston. Now he's gone, and only time will tell if Brad Stevens is the mastermind we all believe he is.