Nets Were Closer to Jaylen Brown Deal Than You May Have Thought

This offseason has had not shortage of blockbuster deals, with Giannis Antetokounmpo joining the Miami Heat, Kawhi Leonard reuniting with the Toronto Raptors, and most recently Jaylen Brown's shocking move to Philadelphia.

According to The Ringer's Bill Simmons, the Brooklyn Nets were closer to acquiring Brown from the Boston Celtics than may have previously been hinted about.

Michael Porter Jr., the Nets' leading scorer this past season, was the highlight of the supposed package, with additional draft capital involved.

Many reports indicated that Boston wanted three or four first round draft picks for the former Finals MVP, but after relationships between Brown and the team began to strain, his value seemingly suffered.

Roundtable's Demetrius Montero previously reported that the Celtics had shown interest in Brooklyn big man Day'Ron Sharpe in the past as well, which indicates that the Nets may have been closer to an agreement than once thought.

Ultimately, it was Brooklyn's front office that shut down the deal, according to Simmons.

After spending ten seasons with the Celtics, Brown had his best statistical year of his career, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.

Brown shot 47.7% from the field, knocking down 34.7-percent of his attempts from distance.

As a strong defender as well, Brown has garnered a reputation as one of the best two-way players in the NBA, and of course, would have been a great addition to Brooklyn's backcourt.

However, through the early Summer League games, the Nets' young backcourt mates of Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. have looked strong.

Demin looks much more composed and offensive-oriented through the Nets' first two games, holding down the fort during Brown's missed time.

In the first half of Brooklyn's game on Monday night, Brown made a strong first impression, knocking down multiple 3-pointers and orchestrating pinpoint passes.

The Nets' top pick showed a real connection with fellow rookie Tyler Bilodeau, finding the former UCLA stretch big for multiple long balls.

The Nets also added shot creation with Julius Randle, who is also an underrated playmaker, especially for his position.

With Brown's elite playmaking and shot creation, missing out on the All-NBA performer could end up giving Brooklyn's young talent more opportunities to grow and make mistakes.

The acquisition of former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Keon Ellis is also a huge defensive upgrade, especially on the perimeter.

In Cleveland, Ellis played seven minutes more per game after being dealt by the Sacramento Kings, increasing all his scoring, rebounding and assist numbers while shooting nearly 10 percentage points higher than he did in California.

Ellis also shined defensively, averaging 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

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