The Boston Celtics only real shot at being in title contention after any potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade is sending out Jaylen Brown. If they roster the three stars, the Cs would have $174 million committed to their Big 3, and they'd get hard-capped at the first apron by taking back more money they sent out in a trade. Boston would have $35 million for the other 12 players. Meaning it would be the three stars and minimum contract players.
Brown is coming off the best year of his career. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.0 steal per game. The 29-year-old finished sixth in MVP voting and was named second team All-NBA. Most impressively, he kept Boston in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race with Jayson Tatum sidelined.
Marc Stein reported Giannis is interested in joining the Celtics (subscription required). It would be an upgrade for Boston and push them closer to title contention, but it is difficult. Brown has spent his entire career with the franchise, and there will be no shortage of interest in Giannis. Do the Cs take a home run swing after their disappointing first-round playoff exit? It has to be considered.
Celtics would have to part with Jaylen Brown to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Boston’s interest in Giannis doesn’t seem high. The injuries likely play a factor, but this is one of the top five players in the world. The Celtics aren’t trading Jayson Tatum. Their only other path to making a Giannis deal is packaging Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, and more to match the Greek Freak's salary. That deal would include multiple draft picks and hamper Boston’s roster build.
Depth is more important than ever in the NBA. The Celtics can’t win with three stars surrounded by minimum players. They could still use part of the taxpayer mid-level exception, but having ten minimum contracts is a recipe for disaster.
This could be a sell-high moment on Brown. He just finished sixth in MVP voting, but he has three years and $183 million left on his contract. The Celtics need him to be a superstar to live up to that deal.
There is no questioning Giannis’ production when healthy. He would instantly form one of the best duos in the NBA with Tatum, but Boston would still have depth questions. It would still cost significant draft capital to get the Greek Freak, so the Celtics would be in an even worse position to add pieces.
Parting with a star the franchise drafted and developed into a Finals MVP is never easy. Doing it in the middle of his prime, coming off the best regular season of his career, is even more difficult. The Celtics would be making a cold and calculated trade that could backfire. Fans know the Js can win a championship. Would Tatum and Giannis get one? Antetokounmpo would have to stay healthy, which has been a struggle in recent years.
The Greek Freak is two years older than Brown, so this trade would put even more pressure on Boston to win in 2027. Do the Cs want that? With Tatum just over one year removed from a torn Achilles, it doesn’t sound great.
The Boston Celtics would be forced to trade Jaylen Brown in any potential Giannis Antetokounmpo acquisition. It is the only way the franchise keeps their spending in check. The NBA’s days of Big 3s are over unless one or more are on rookie contracts. Boston doesn’t have that luxury and has to choose between keeping JB or landing Giannis this summer. It is not an easy call, but that is why Brad Stevens makes millions.
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