Jaylen Brown's recent comments regarding his future in Boston were enough to cause worry among Celtics fans.
Brown was noncommittal regarding his Celtics future in an interview with The Ringer's Logan Murdock last week. When asked about staying in Boston for the long haul, the 26-year-old responded that things were out of his hands and that he would play where he is "wanted," "needed" and "treated correct."
Paul Pierce's take on those comments? Well, they can accurately be described as anxiety inducing.
"Maybe Jaylen wants the opportunity to be 'the guy,' " Pierce said, as transcribed by Conor Roche of Boston.com. "I've seen this for years as guys have left teams. Just think of James Harden. James Harden wouldn't be James Harden if he didn't leave (the Oklahoma City Thunder). Tracy McGrady wouldn't have turned into T-Mac if he didn't leave Toronto. You never know. Maybe that's on Jaylen's mind or maybe he'll stay.
"There's a lot of factors that go into a mindset of a player of his caliber because we know he's a premier player in this league. Maybe he wants the opportunity to see if he can be 'the guy' or who knows."
Brown has continued to follow his upward trajectory into 2023, averaging career highs in points (26.7), rebounds (6.9), field-goal percentage (.491) and minutes (36.1) per game. That was enough to earn him a second All-Star selection and could be enough to add an All-NBA berth.
An All-NBA selection would be equally beneficial for the Celtics as it would be for Brown, as they'd be given the opportunity to offer him more money than anyone else should he hit the open market in the summer of 2024.
The Celtics have been nothing but supportive of Brown. Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla has stated his support during the uncertainty, while co-star Jayson Tatum and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens each had a role in easing Brown's tension following the Kevin Durant rumors of the last 18 months.
While there is a bit of uncertainty regarding the long-term future of Brown, the Celtics' second star has continued to play well and state his goals in winning with the franchise. After all, there is another "energy shift" incoming.
