The NBA rumor mill is churning, and the latest report about Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown has fans absolutely livid. According to ESPN insider Bobby Marks, an unnamed analytics guru dropped a bombshell take that has the basketball world scratching its head: they reportedly view Brown as the seventh-best player on his own team.
Yes, you read that right. The same Jaylen Brown who just averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game while shooting efficiently from everywhere on the floor. The same guy who was a Finals MVP and is still in his prime. Yet some analytics darling out there thinks he’s behind six other Celtics. Fans are not having it.
Marks shared the jaw-dropping conversation on air, saying, “I had one, not an executive, but an analytics guy say, ‘Yeah, we view him as the seventh best player on a team.’ I was like, ‘Holy crap.’ What are we doing?” The comment came amid a swirl of trade speculation around Brown, with two teams reportedly ready to pounce on the Celtics star if Boston decides to move him.
Even Stephen A. Smith, never one to mince words, fired back on social media. “Now this is utterly ridiculous,” Smith wrote. “I have no doubt that @BobbyMarks42 was told what he said he was told — but there is no way in hell @FCHWPO is the 7th-best player on any team in the NBA. He may be the best 2-way player in the league. Yes, it’s me saying this. Folks be on some b.s. Stop It!”
Fans echoed that sentiment across X, with one commenting, “I’m wondering what analytics they used to determine that Jaylen Brown was the 7th best player on the Celtics.” Another called the report “so disrespectful to the Finals MVP,” while a third fan added, “That analytics guy needs to get his head out of the sheets and watch some hoops man.”
The timing couldn’t be worse for Brown, who is reportedly being valued at four first-round picks by the Celtics front office. Boston is expected to explore trade options for the All-Star swingman after a reported offer involving Giannis Antetokounmpo fell through when the Greek star landed in Miami. Now, with the Bucks out of the picture, the market for Brown is wide open — but if teams truly buy into this analytics take, his trade value could take a hit.
Brown is locked into a massive contract that runs through 2028-29, with a $57 million cap hit next season. That makes matching salaries tricky, but suitors like the Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets have been mentioned as possible landing spots. Whether they’ll meet Boston’s asking price remains to be seen, especially if front offices start listening to anonymous number-crunchers who apparently think Brown is a role player.
For now, the Celtics star can take solace in knowing that the majority of the basketball world — including his biggest critics — thinks this report is pure nonsense. As one fan put it, “Watch the games, not the spreadsheets.”
