Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

I was having a conversation with an NBA coach last Thursday, discussing that evening’s potential draftees. When I told him I thought the Celtics were seriously considering Jaylen Brown at No. 3, he offered caution.

“I’m not sure about that guy,” he said. “He could be a little too intellectual.”

Huh?

“He might be too smart for his own good,” he said.

Stunned by the comment, I simply replied, “That’ll never be a problem for either one of us,” and moved on.

Herald: Jaylen Brown’s inner circle embraces ‘smart’ label

This is one of the more ridiculous storylines I’ve seen in a long time. The notion that the kid could be too smart to reach his full potential as a basketball player is asinine… but it speaks to how dehumanizing being a professional athlete can be.

To some organizations, players can be little more than athletic sides of beef. They aren’t people allowed to have thoughts and outside interests; they are soldiers who are to obey orders and live robotic lives dedicated to this one and only pursuit.

Make no mistake, being a pro athlete does take an inordinate amount of dedication. There is a lot of maintenance and preparation of one’s body for the sport, then practice, both team and individual, that takes hours of their day.

But to insinuate that a young man with intelligence may not fully dedicate himself those pursuits simply because his mind craves other stimulation is ignorant. Guys have hours of free time and full offseasons to take up other things that make them well-rounded human beings. It doesn’t mater if a guy wants to discuss Nietzsche with people from Harvard, or play video games with friends for hours after practice.

It’s easy to overlook the people behind the players. They’re more than just human hangars for basketball jerseys. They have good and bad days at work like all of us, they get tired if they run too much, they get angry if things don’t go their way and sometimes it shows up at bad times. They’re people.

Jaylen Brown happens to be a pretty smart person. Maybe he shows it in different ways. Maybe he’ll spend off days on the MIT campus. But to suggest his brains will hold him back from basketball? That’s appalling.

Page 2: Phoenix tried to hire Brad Stevens first

McDonough and the Suns owner, Robert Sarver, both made the trip to Carmel, Ind., to meet with Stevens and his wife Tracy.

“So yeah, we were at his kitchen table,” McDonough explained on the podcast. “We were meeting with him about potentially coaching the Suns. Ultimately he decided at that time to stay at Butler, and then a month or two later he chose to go to the Celtics. But as far as how close it was or what his decision-making process was, you’d have to ask him about that. But we were sitting around his kitchen table discussing him potentially coaching the Suns in May of 2013.”

MassLive: Phoenix Suns GM Ryan McDonough discusses recruiting Brad Stevens before Boston Celtics hired him

You can hear the whole story from McDonough on the latest Vertical Podcast with Woj.

I’m just guessing here, but the only reasons I can think of to turn down an NBA job are situation and money. I’m not sure if the Suns got to the point of talking cash, but they definitely laid out their vision for the future. I have to believe the Stevens family was not very impressed.

Remember, Rob Sarver is one of the worst owners in sports. He was one of the driving forces of the last lockout and he’s a notorious meddler. I can’t imagine a guy like Stevens, who must have known at that point that NBA teams were going to come calling in droves, would be interested in working for a guy like Sarver.

It just goes to show that, as I’ve said a million times, situation matters in the NBA. The Celtics are as stable from top to bottom as a franchise can get. That doesn’t guarantee perennial success, but it sure does provide a fertile soil for a team to grow.

And Finally…

I’ve harbored this fantasy of getting a guy like Ryan Anderson in Boston… but if that happens, it’s going to have to be at max money. Anderson, a top-flight stretch-4, is apparently Washington’s top priority right now (via PBT).

Now that Kevin Durant has dropped from the wish list for the Wizards with free agency set to open at the end of the week, Ryan Anderson is their next priority, multiple league sources tell CSNmidatlantic.com on Monday, and they’ll make an aggressive move in hopes of securing the three-point shooting forward.

I have serious doubts about the Celtics spending that kind of money on Anderson. However, the reality is that a lot of guys are going to be getting ridiculous money this summer, so who knows how teams will approach it.

I’m hoping for Mirza Teletovic. He’s 30, which might knock the price down a bit. He can hit 3’s at a near 40% clip, which the C’s need off the bench. I don’t know what he’s worth in this market… I’m sure it’ll feel like too much… but he’s exactly the type of player the Celtics need right now.

The rest of the links

CSNNE: Slater: Think Durant is “intrigued” by Celtics  |  Shaughnessy: No reason for Durant to go to Celtics  |  Tanguay: Ainge will be picking Jaylen Browns forever  |  Ratto: no indication Durant is going anywhere  |  Blakely: this go-round a feeling out process for Durant  |  Felger: Ainge set bar so high he excludes reasonable deals

NESN: Pau Gasol reportedly opts out, should Celtics pursue?

Herald: NBA, WNBA first pro leagues with float in gay pride parade

ProJo: It looks, and sounds, like the honeymoon is over for Ainge