The Boston Celtics have spent the past week responding to the Jaylen Brown trade from every corner of the organization. Brad Stevens laid out the reasoning. Joe Mazzulla spoke about trust and gratitude. Jayson Tatum reflected on what it felt like to lose a nine-year teammate.
On Friday in Las Vegas, more voices from inside the locker room joined the conversation. Several of Brown’s teammates addressed the trade publicly, and their comments added a layer the front office press conferences could not.
Derrick White was one of the ones to speak.
White’s Message to Brown
White found out about the trade while he was at home. The news hit differently because of what Brown had meant to him since the day White arrived in Boston.
“It’s tough to see someone get traded, and JB’s been an amazing teammate, amazing friend to me, and kind of welcomed me when I got traded to Boston,” White said. “So I’m always thankful for my time that I spent with JB, and it’s obviously always tough to get traded, and I know how that feels.”
He contacted Brown shortly afterward. What he told him said everything about the relationship.
“Thank you for everything you did for me,” White said.
GettyDerrick White of the Boston Celtics talks with Jaylen Brown.
Celtics Teammates Weigh In
Neemias Queta spent three seasons alongside Brown in Boston. Hugo Gonzalez shared just one. Both spoke about the trade from Las Vegas, and both made clear what Brown’s presence meant to them.
“It’s not easy,” Queta said. “Jaylen’s a guy that you can’t replace in the city. Really, really hard to replace on the court as well. He did so much for Boston in general, and he will definitely be missed.”
Gonzalez spoke about what it meant to share a locker room with Brown even for one season.
“Jaylen is a Celtics legend, and everybody, starting with me, is really, really grateful because of the things he has done,” Gonzalez said. “He has been an amazing veteran player. He’s been a leader for me. He’s been a role model.”
Brown’s impact on this roster went beyond his scoring and his stats. He set a standard. He pushed people. And he made the players around him better through his edge and his daily intensity.
Mazzulla on Processing the Loss
“I think the reaction is just still processing it,” Mazzulla said. “Obviously, when something like that happens, it’s not a black-and-white type of thing. There’s a ton of stuff that goes into it on and off the court.”
Mazzulla spoke on the trade, and confirmed that he did not have input on the decision itself. Stevens communicated the trade to him, and Mazzulla trusted the reasoning behind it.
“I think in moments like this, this is where you just trust,” Mazzulla said. “Brad has been the absolute best at what he does, and there’s just a level of trust that goes into that.”
He closed with a message about what he hopes does not get lost in the debate.
“The part that I hope gets talked about more is really just the respect, the appreciation, and the gratitude for what he did for the Celtics for 10 years,” Mazzulla said.
GettyJoe Mazzulla and Jaylen Brown.
Final Word for the Celtics
The front office made the basketball decision. The teammates made sure Jaylen Brown knows what he meant.
The trade will be analyzed and argued about for years. The return will be measured against everything Brown gave the franchise. That conversation is not going anywhere.
But the collective comments from Las Vegas showed something the numbers and the cap figures cannot capture. Brown left a mark on the people inside that building that goes well beyond basketball.
That part is not up for debate.
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