After reporting over a month ago that the Trail Blazers were among the teams with interest in Jaylen Brown, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) say Portland is the club most frequently described by sources around the league as “actively” pursuing the Celtics star.
While Wizards big man Anthony Davis has also been described as a potential Plan B for the Blazers after they missed out on Giannis Antetokounmpo, their interest in Brown dates back to Damian Lillard‘s first stint with the team, per Stein and Fischer.
Conversely, the Rockets – another team cited last month as a potential Brown suitor – haven’t talked to Boston recently and don’t appear to be seeking a trade for the All-NBA second-teamer, Stein and Fischer report.
While Houston isn’t in active pursuit of Brown, the club does have its eye on another one of head coach Ime Udoka‘s former Celtics, according to Stein and Fischer, who say that the Rockets would be among the teams in on Marcus Smart if he declines his $5.4MM player option with the Lakers to reach free agency, which is a path he’s considering.
The Rockets also continue to explore potential trade opportunities involving veteran wing Dorian Finney-Smith, who had a disappointing first year in Houston coming off ankle surgery. Finney-Smith has three years and $40MM left on his contract, but only his $13.34MM salary for 2026/27 is guaranteed.
Here are more trade and free agency rumors from Stein and Fischer:
- The Rockets and Nuggets remain hopeful about their chances of retaining key free agents Tari Eason and Peyton Watson, respectively, write Stein and Fischer. The Clippers may join the list of suitors for Watson if they decide to operate under the cap, which is an option they’re believed to be weighing, but sources tell The Stein Line that it would likely take an offer in the neighborhood of $30MM per year to make Denver think twice about signing the RFA wing.
- The Hawks remain in the market for frontcourt help and mulled the possibility of making a run at Isaiah Hartenstein before he reached an agreement on a new deal with the Thunder, sources tell Stein and Fischer.
- Bucks center Myles Turner has generated some trade interest, but Milwaukee isn’t “actively engaged” in trade negotiations to send him elsewhere, a league source tells The Stein Line.
- The two draft picks the Thunder are receiving from the Pistons in the Isaiah Joe trade are Minnesota’s 2030 second-round selection and Detroit’s own 2031 second-rounder, sources tell Stein and Fischer. The duo adds that the acquisition of Joe makes the Pistons less likely to pursue another sharpshooting guard like Norman Powell or Tyler Herro, though it doesn’t sound as if that possibility is entirely off the table yet.
- With New Orleans declining its team option on Kevon Looney, Stein and Fischer suggest that the veteran big man could be an option for the Knicks, who will likely lose Mitchell Robinson in free agency. Knicks head coach Mike Brown is a former Warriors assistant who overlapped with Looney in Golden State from 2016-22.
