The Golden State Warriors spent the offseason searching for the kind of move that could reopen Stephen Curry’s championship window. Their pursuit led them to Jaylen Brown, then stopped at Boston’s asking price.
Warriors controlling owner Joe Lacob confirmed that general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. discussed a Brown trade with the Celtics before the former NBA Finals MVP was sent to the Philadelphia 76ers.
“I was not, but Mike certainly had discussions,” Lacob said Wednesday on Tim Kawakami’s The TK Show.
Lacob did not disclose what Golden State offered or how serious the conversations became. He described Boston as an aggressive seller that tested Brown’s value across the league.
“I think they canvassed the entire league,” Lacob said. “And they wanted a lot.”
That tracks with the reporting surrounding Golden State’s pursuit. The Warriors had an opportunity to acquire Brown around the February trade deadline but declined to surrender a package valued at four first-round picks, ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported. Boston approached them again near the NBA draft.
The Celtics ultimately traded Brown to Philadelphia for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round selections.
Warriors Passed on Expensive Jaylen Brown Deal
Getty Jaylen Brownof the Boston Celtics celebrates after a three-point basket against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at TD Garden on March 18, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Brown would have given Golden State a 29-year-old two-way wing with championship credentials — exactly the profile the aging Warriors have struggled to acquire.
“He’s a good player,” Lacob said.
The cost helps explain Golden State’s hesitation.
The Warriors’ most valuable movable first-round picks represent their best chance to rebuild after Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler are gone. Trading four of them for Brown would have meant committing nearly everything to the present while absorbing a contract with three years and roughly $140 million remaining.
It also would have created immediate questions about Brown’s offensive fit alongside Curry and Butler. All three require substantial roles, while Brown’s arrival would not have solved every weakness on a roster that finished 37-45.
Still, Golden State’s choice carries an obvious opportunity cost. Brown averaged more than 28 points last season and is only two years removed from winning Finals MVP. The Warriors ended the offseason without the transformational addition they sought.
Brown Trade Also Hurt Golden State’s LeBron Pursuit
The consequences stretched beyond Brown.
His arrival in Philadelphia helped convince LeBron James that the 76ers offered his best opportunity to win a fifth championship. Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey has said the franchise would not have landed James without first acquiring Brown.
Golden State also pursued James, hoping to pair him with Curry after they flourished together during the Paris Olympics.
The Warriors instead watched Boston send Brown to Philadelphia, then saw James follow him there on a two-year, $8 million contract.
Lacob found the destination notable.
“I think they, for whatever reason, made the decision they did,” he said, “to a division rival, which is unusual.”
For Boston, the trade returned an accomplished veteran and four draft picks while reducing its long-term commitment. For Philadelphia, it created the foundation of a superteam.
For Golden State, Brown became the major move the Warriors considered but declined to make, and the first domino in losing James, too.
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