Jaylen Brown recently revealed that he once seriously considered requesting a trade from the Boston Celtics during the turbulent 2019 season, a moment that could have completely changed the trajectory of his career.
Speaking on the Cousins Podcast with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, Brown explained how close he came to leaving Boston before receiving crucial advice from McGrady that ultimately changed his perspective.
Jaylen Brown: “He told me the potential that I have and what I needed to do if I needed to make it work. And I followed that instruction to a T. And fast forward, I became an NBA champion.”
Vince Carter: “No, no, no, no, no, no. I’m not gonna let you do it. That’s not all you did. You became an NBA Finals MVP. I’m not gonna let you do that.”
Jaylen Brown: “Nah, but definitely… nah. I remember sitting down with Mac. We spent a couple of days just working out and talking, having some food. And he’s telling me, you know, I’m thinking one thing, and he’s thinking like, nah, you need to stay. If it’s going to be you… He’s telling me all the stuff that… that all just manifested itself. So I can’t even… You know, it’s crazy looking back on it now.”
Tracy McGrady: “But no, I just felt like in that moment I had to be a voice of reason. Because I know when you’re actually in it, there are different emotions. I don’t have those emotions. I’m not attached to that. So I see something totally different that you’re probably blinded by. And I was like, ‘No, bro, no. I don’t think you’re going to find what you have here anywhere else.'”
“I understand what you’re probably feeling, but I promise you you’re not going to be able to find it. Because what I was seeing was a duo and a team that was putting something together that ultimately was going to do what you guys ended up doing, which is winning the championship and consistently being at that level. Unfortunately, JT got hurt, but I saw that. That’s why I’m telling you now, stay. broke.”
Vince Carter: “Because it’s easy to get caught up in the outside noise when you’re in it, as opposed to us on the other side seeing the potential that you guys had leading up to it. Sometimes you have your brother fights, you get into it, but at the same time, the bigger picture is what you guys accomplished.”
“You could see how well you guys worked together, which leads us to where we are now. You were that uncaged pit bull, but at the same time, you knew you had another guy with you that you could work with. When you have an off night, your boy got your back. And I think that led into where you are now as a player.”
The 2019 Celtics season was widely viewed as one of the most disappointing campaigns in recent franchise history. The roster was filled with talent, featuring players such as Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Marcus Morris. On paper, Boston looked like a championship contender.
Instead, the season quickly fell into chaos.
Chemistry issues, conflicting roles, and outside criticism created constant tension throughout the year. The Celtics were eventually eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks, ending what had once been considered a promising season.
Brown admitted that during that time, he began thinking about leaving. McGrady said he tried to be a voice of reason during those conversations, reminding Brown that emotions can cloud judgment when a player is caught in the middle of a difficult situation.
McGrady explained that he could already see the potential of the partnership between Brown and Tatum, even if the players themselves could not fully see it yet. That prediction eventually came true.
After the disappointing 2019 season, Irving left Boston and signed with the Brooklyn Nets, clearing the way for Brown and Tatum to emerge as the franchise’s cornerstone duo. Over the next several seasons, the two wings developed into one of the most dominant partnerships in the league. Their chemistry and two-way versatility turned the Celtics into a perennial contender.
The breakthrough finally arrived in 2024 when Boston captured the NBA championship. Brown delivered the best performances of his career during the Finals and was named Finals MVP. Looking back, Brown now realizes how close he came to missing that entire journey.
Today, he has evolved into one of the league’s most complete players. This season, he is averaging 28.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while leading Boston to one of the best records in the Eastern Conference. Brown even believes his performance deserves consideration for the MVP award, although he has said winning another championship still matters more.
The fact that he nearly left Boston in 2019 makes his current success even more remarkable. What once felt like a broken situation ultimately became the foundation of a championship team and one of the NBA’s most dangerous duos.
