Jaylen Brown’s trade to the Philadelphia 76ers marked one of the most significant moves of the offseason, signaling a new direction for the Boston Celtics franchise. While Philadelphia emerged as the eventual destination, multiple teams reportedly expressed interest in acquiring the star wing, including the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Athletic‘s Jon Krawczynski provided insight into Minnesota’s involvement during an appearance on the “Celtics Daily Podcast,” revealing that the Timberwolves had serious conversations with Boston about Brown. He stated: “I reported that earlier in the summer. The Wolves did have real discussions with the Boston Celtics about Jaylen Brown. They had a lot of internal discussions about it as well. At the time that they talked, the Celtics wanted Rudy and Naz, and it was going to be just too high of a price to pay.”
“Now, if the Wolves didn’t do that LaMelo deal and maybe that price tag dropped as the summer went along, could something else have come together for them on that front? It’s possible, I guess,” Krawczynski added. “But I do think that the Wolves are happy with the LaMelo fit a little bit more than they would have been with the Jaylen fit. But yeah, at the time they were engaged with the Celtics, the Celtics were asking for a lot for him, and yeah, they just said that’s just too much for Jaylen Brown.”
The Timberwolves ultimately chose to pivot toward acquiring LaMelo Ball from Charlotte, agreeing to send Naz Reid to the Hornets in the deal. This decision appears to align with their long-term vision surrounding star guard Anthony Edwards.
While pairing Edwards with Brown would seem appealing on paper—particularly given Brown’s standout 2025-26 campaign in which he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game—the fit raised potential concerns. Both players are premier scorers with similar positional versatility and defensive capabilities, which could create redundancy and role conflicts within the lineup.
Furthermore, at 25 years old, Edwards remains younger than Brown and is just entering his physical prime. Adding another established superstar might have inadvertently slowed his continued development. Acquiring Ball instead allowed Minnesota to bring in a dynamic playmaking point guard who complements Edwards’ game while shouldering some of the offensive creation responsibilities.
The shift in focus also preserved Rudy Gobert, whose defensive presence has proven vital to the team’s success. Trading both Gobert and Reid for Brown would have represented a substantial restructuring of the roster, one that may not have maximized the strengths of either star.
Brown now joins a star-laden 76ers squad, where he’ll have ample opportunity to compete for a championship alongside other elite talents. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves appear content with their current trajectory, building around homegrown talent while maintaining flexibility for future moves.
The Timberwolves Are Better Off Without Jaylen Brown
On paper, pairing Anthony Edwards with Jaylen Brown is immensely promising. After a spectacular performance in the 2025-26 season, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, Brown established himself as one of the NBA’s best two-way players. Similarly, Edwards continued to make waves as one of the league’s most gifted young stars.
Theoretically, pairing the two would make for a dynamite combination. Still, there is enough evidence to suggest this would have been counterintuitive.
For the most part, Jaylen Brown and Anthony Edwards are too similar. As gifted scorers with defensive upside, both bring a lot of value to the table. However, this also lays the groundwork for potential role clashes during the flow of a game.
At 25, Edwards is also younger than Brown. Since Edwards is on the verge of entering his physical prime, the Timberwolves could have run the risk of stunting his development by acquiring another superstar with a similar skill set. Thus, the imminent drawbacks of this pairing are far more concerning.
Overall, pulling out of negotiations for Jaylen Brown to prioritize LaMelo Ball’s acquisition is largely favorable. By adding a younger, star-caliber point guard to take the playmaking burden off Edwards’ shoulders, the Timberwolves have freed up their superstar to play his natural game. In many ways, this may have been the ideal outcome for Minnesota.
Meanwhile, Brown also finds himself in a favorable situation. As part of the 76ers’ superteam, the 29-year-old is arguably in the best position to contend for a title. With Philadelphia’s roster improving dramatically after Brown’s arrival, the 76ers will also hope their new core can live up to its potential.
