The Houston Rockets are expected to add a major talent to their team in the near future, with a projected $72.6 million in cap space for the 2023-24 season. However, it's unclear whether this will still be James Harden, who has been linked to the Rockets but recently admitted to having an Achilles injury at 33 years old. Despite this, it's the addition of Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown that is far more intriguing than the former face of the Rockets franchise.
Brown has seemed disgruntled in Boston as of late, with rumors persisting that the Celtics are looking to trade him. He has reportedly received racial epithets from his own team's fans, and even called up teammate Jayson Tatum to ask if Tatum was angling for Kevin Durant to be his running mate instead of him. Brown will become a free agent in 2024, which may be why the Celtics would entertain a trade involving him.
Should Brown be named to an All-NBA team, which he has a fair chance of making, he would be eligible for a supermax contract. Even if he doesn't, the Celtics haven't shown enough commitment to him to suggest that they will reach an extension agreement this offseason. Brown, 26, has entered his prime, and is currently in the midst of a career year, averaging 26.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game.
Brown is in a winning environment with all the responsibility a star player can handle. His Celtics were two wins away from the NBA championship in 2022, and see few peers in the Eastern Conference getting in their way this year. However, if Houston wants to acquire Brown, they would likely have to offer him a boatload of money and re-tool their roster to appeal to his thirst for a championship, as the Rockets have been at the bottom of the standings for the past three years. The situation remains complex, but the Rockets' cap space gives them a fighting chance to land a major talent like Brown.
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