Jaylen Brown Nearly Joined Anthony Edwards as Truth Behind Failed Timberwolves Trade Emerges

Kevin Garnett was traded to Boston in a deal that reshaped the Eastern Conference. But before that trade happened, Garnett had reportedly been close to a completely different destination, one that would have paired him with a young star in a different city entirely. This NBA offseason produced its own version of that story, and insider Jon Krawczynski just confirmed how close it came to actually happening.

Speaking on CLNS Media’s "Celtics Daily" podcast with host Bobby Manning, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski revealed the specific breakdown behind trade talks that could have sent Jaylen Brown to play alongside Anthony Edwards in Minnesota, which was the extravagant price that the Celtics wanted for Brown.

"The Wolves did have real discussions with the Boston Celtics about Jaylen Brown. The Celtics wanted Rudy and Naz, and it was going to be just too high of a price to pay," Krawczynski said, referring to Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid.

"Now, if the Wolves didn't do the LaMelo deal and maybe that price tag dropped as the summer went along, could something else have come together on that front? It's possible, I guess. But I do think the Wolves are happier with the LaMelo fit a little more than they would’ve been with the Jaylen fit."

Timberwolves president Tim Connelly was searching for another star to pair alongside Anthony Edwards throughout the offseason. Brown wasn’t the only name Minnesota explored, as Krawczynski reported the Wolves also held conversations with Milwaukee about Giannis Antetokounmpo and with Chicago about Josh Giddey before eventually landing on a different star altogether.

Boston’s asking price for Brown, according to Krawczynski, amounted to “a king’s ransom.” A package built around Gobert, Reid, and significant draft compensation, comparable in scale to what Minnesota ultimately paid Charlotte for LaMelo Ball.

Faced with that price, Minnesota changed its plan. The Timberwolves acquired Ball from the Charlotte Hornets in a package that sent Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps, and three second-round picks the other way.

The Celtics sent Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, first-round picks in 2028 and 2031, and additional second-round compensation (2028 and 2030), a package that, on paper, looks lighter than what Boston reportedly demanded from Minnesota earlier.

Many wonder whether the Timberwolves could have landed Brown for less than the “king’s ransom” Krawczynski described, had they simply stayed at the table a little longer or structured the offer differently.

On the performance front, however, keeping Rudy Gobert while adding a true point guard in Ball addressed different needs that a Brown pairing wouldn’t have. Edwards struggled at times with playmaking pressure, and Ball’s arrival was designed to address that gap by giving Minnesota a primary ball-handler rather than another high-usage scoring wing whose game overlaps with Edwards’ own.