"They are hunting a big man,' says a rival executive. 'And they are willing to trade [Brown] to get it.'"
By Conor Ryan
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Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics are reportedly pivoting after coming up short in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes earlier this week.
During an appearance on NBC Sports Boston Tuesday night, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix reported that the Celtics remain on the prowl for an impact big man to add to their roster — with Cleveland Cavaliers power forward/center Evan Mobley standing as a target.
“The name that I have been hearing connected to the Celtics most often over the last 24 hours, or at least after the Giannis deal fell apart, is Evan Mobley in Cleveland,” Mannix noted.
Given Stevens’ comments last month about wanting to add “impact at the rim” after a disappointing first-round exit against the Sixers, a player like Mobley makes plenty of sense as an offseason target.
Mobley, the third-overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, has played a key role in Cleveland’s rise as a contender in the Eastern Conference.
The 25-year-old big man earned an All-Star nod in 2024-25, won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award that season, and averaged 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game with the Cavs in 2025-26.
Given Boston’s struggles with rebounding, rim protection, and slowing down elite big men last season (like Joel Embiid) in the playoffs, a player like Mobley would account for several deficiencies currently on the Celtics’ roster.
However, Mannix noted that pulling off a trade would be “complicated” between the Celtics and Cavs, given that Cleveland is projected to be in the restrictive second apron and will not be able to aggregate contracts to help facilitate a deal.
If Jaylen Brown is a potential trade chip in a deal with the Cavs, Cleveland would have to get creative — as Brown earns $57.1 million next season, while Mobley’s salary doesn’t match at $50.1 million.
Even if Mobley isn’t Boston’s eventual target, Mannix echoed a similar sentiment to several other NBA insiders on Wednesday when it comes to Brown’s murky future in Boston — even after the Bucks ultimately rebuffed the Celtics’ reported offer of Brown and two first-round picks for Antetokounmpo.
“Boston continued to discuss Brown trades on Tuesday, two sources familiar with the talks tell Sports Illustrated,” Mannix wrote. “Many of the conversations were initiated by rival teams, sources say. Some were brokered by the Celtics. ‘They are hunting a big man,’ says a rival executive. ‘And they are willing to trade [Brown] to get it.'”
Speaking on Tuesday night after Round 1 of the NBA Draft, Stevens was noncommittal when asked about Brown’s standing with the Celtics.
“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens said. “I’m never going to predict the future, but, like, every indication, everything that I think about over the past few years has been building around those guys, right? So, obviously you never know.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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