One Celtics star made a cryptic social media post after trade rumors swirled earlier this week.
On Wednesday, five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown posted simply on X: “I love cats.”
Nobody knows what that tweet could symbolize. It could be as simple as Brown likes pet cats. It could also be a clue to where Brown wants to be traded or could be traded.
But even that theory is less than paper-thin, since no NBA teams have any links to cats in their names.
Brown’s name was heavily involved in the trade rumors that went with former Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. While Antetokounmpo ended up being traded to the Heat for a huge guard that included guard Tyler Herro, the Celtics were in close second to secure his services, according to multiple reports.
Their trade package included Brown as the headliner on top of multiple first-round picks.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was non-committal on whether Brown was a part of the team’s long-term plans
“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens told reporters Tuesday night. “I don’t want to predict the future. I look at it as this is our team.”
Stevens did, however, sympathize with the position Brown finds himself in after being part of trade rumors.
Brown, 29, has three years left on his contract with the Celtics and is owed $64 million in the final year, and said at one point that this season was his “favorite” in the NBA because of the adversity the team persevered through.
Brown was the Celtics’ lead option while Jayson Tatum was recovering from a torn Achilles.
Brown averaged 28.7 points, seven rebounds, and five assists per game. He finished as the fourth-highest scorer in the league, with Boston clinching the No. 2 seed in the East.
