Celtics Plot Five Upgrades to Strengthen Lineup Without Trading Brown

With Jaylen Brown at the center of offseason chatter, the Celtics could strengthen their lineup without trading him by pursuing five moves: (1) target Trey Murphy in a deal that could involve Derrick White and Baylor Scheierman for Murphy and Yves Missi, keeping both teams under the luxury tax; (2) upgrade the center position via trade or free agency (candidates include Evan Mobley, Mitchell Robinson, Robert Williams, Zach Collins) to improve spacing and rim protection; (3) shed Sam Hauser’s $10 million contract for greater flexibility; (4) give more minutes to a developing Hugo Gonzalez (and possibly Jordan Walsh) to preserve and grow the younger core; (5) entertain the remote possibility of LeBron James arriving at a veteran-discount price to bring playmaking and leadership.