Reacting to the Celtics Jaylen Brown trade, how the CBA played a role in it

Reacting to the Celtics Jaylen Brown trade, how the CBA played a role in it

Like most fans of the Boston Celtics, we started our most recent episode of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" knowing there was a very good chance that star Celtics forward Jaylen Brown might be traded soon. We brought on Third Apron NBA salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan to help talk us through how the league's current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) helped put Boston in such a position to begin with, as well as what that and the changing valuation of draft picks might be an impediment. And then the trade actually happened, right as we hung up the call. So we jumped back on (sans Yossi, who this trade made plenty of work for as well) to vent about what we knew, and to try to wrap our heads around the return for the – at worst – seventh-best player in the league last season. We hope you find the latter half informative, and the first cathartic. We will assuredly be back with you soon to talk us through this mess as well, but in the meantime, tune in if you can. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U [https://tiny.ee/Jk4U] or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the future of Jaylen Brown with the Celtics, and how the media played a role

What is the future of Jaylen Brown with the Boston Celtics, and how have the media played a role in the mess the Celtics find themselves in now? In the failed pursuit of Milwaukee Bucks star big man Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Celtics moved fast, and the media broke stuff. Some of the current situation Boston President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has to sort out came from his and his staff's decisions to pursue the Greek Freak and risk a critical relationship with Jaylen Brown. But a fair amount of this debacle also came from the media, who complicated the situation via a rush to publish, facts and reliability often collateral damage. Can the situation be salvaged to run it back, or is the Brown relationship broken beyond repair? And how have the media unwittingly (and at times, wittingly) allowed themselves to be complicit? To get a better idea about all of the above, "Havlicek Stole the Pod" linked up with "Locked on Celtics" host John Karalis, taking a deep dive into the role of the modern NBA media with regard to trade rumors, team building, and ethical coverage of the sport. We also touch on the news making the rounds, from what Boston did in the 2026 NBA draft to what their moves can tell us about their future plans and more, so be sure to check it out. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U [https://tiny.ee/Jk4U] or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Reacting to the Giannis - Jaylen Brown mess and Chris Cenac draft pick

Where do the Boston Celtics go from here? After a failed pursuit of Milwaukee Bucks star big man Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Celtics now find themselves in damage control mode as Boston President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens pivots to repairing his relationship with dangled star Jaylen Brown while also reportedly fielding calls from rival ball clubs in case a trade is needed. The Celtics also drafted a high-upside project big in Chris Cenac Jr. in the 2026 NBA Draft, which may hint at an expected need for talent down the road given the risk taken in passing on more ready-to-contribute options still on the board. What do we think of where the team finds itself, what might happen next, and how could it go down? To get a bead on all the above, "Havlicek Stole the Pod" put their heads together on their most recent episode. We even got into the trickle of other news still making its way into print this late into the offseason, so be sure to tune in. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U [https://tiny.ee/Jk4U] or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What we know, what we don't about Celtics trade interest in Giannis

What we know (and what we do not know) about the Boston Celtics trade interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo is not at all clear at first glance, with contradictory reports (sometimes from the same sources) muddying the waters for Celtics fans and analysts at the height of silly season. For those of us unfamiliar with that latter term, after the end of the playoffs and before the start of the next season (but especially before the NBA draft), all so-called intel about what teams might do should be taken with very large grains of salt. Teams, players, and agents negotiate through the media, and the media engages in especially creative couching of the facts to drive fan engagement. Which tells us little about whether Boston really wants to trade for the Greek Freak, if Jaylen Brown might be involved, or what they might have planned if all this Giannis talk is just hot air. To that end, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" took some time to take stock of what we DO know, what we still do not, and what it all may mean for Celtics president Brad Stevens' plans for the team this summer. We also get caught up on what little news there is, so be sure to tune in. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U [https://tiny.ee/Jk4U]or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How the Celtics can contend again by hitting singles over home runs

Under the current NBA collective bargaining agreement (CBA), what a contender looks like has started to change – and how contenders play in the postseason as well. As the Boston Celtics begin the process of shifting their team from a contender under the former regime to the present one, fans of the team might be expecting moves that may never come to pass. To be clearer, the days of spending deep into the tax for multiple seasons as franchises pile on talent to a talented core are likely gone for the foreseeable future. Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and New York Knicks have instead leaned into depth and flexibility in ways it looks like the Celtics could already be emulating. What does this look like in practice? How will the way the players play and the coaches coach change? And how are we seeing current contenders like the Spurs and Knicks play out this new model of contention in the 2026 NBA Finals? To get a better idea of what this might look like in practice, the hosts of "Havlicek Stole the Pod" linked up with cohost of the "How Bout Them Celtics!" podcast, Jack Simone, to break down what we're seeing unfold, and what we think might be coming. We also get caught up on the news still emerging this deep int a longer-than-usual offseason, so be sure to tune in. Outro: Whistle by Benjamin Banger - https://tiny.ee/Jk4U [https://tiny.ee/Jk4U] or BenJaminBanger.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.