The fallout from the trade of Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat is being felt all around the league, but perhaps nowhere more than in Boston. All eyes are now squarely on the Celtics and what they will do with Jaylen Brown after offering him up in a Giannis trade and coming up short.
It’s hard to imagine Brown is going to feel great after hearing his name in rumors yet again, after the best season of his career. Perhaps this can be patched up, but perhaps the relationship is damaged, and the Celtics may now face a sort of worst-case scenario in which they’ve missed out on Giannis and turned off JB in the process.
Nobody can know how Jaylen feels, or what will happen next. Maybe the relationship is damaged beyond repair, or maybe he’ll be back in green putting up another All-NBA campaign next season.
Brian Windhorst expects a 'bidding war' for Jaylen Brown
But many of the loudest voices in the NBA media landscape think this might be it for Brown’s time in Boston. Tuesday morning on Get Up, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explained that teams around the league have been preparing for the possibility of the Celtics losing out on Giannis, stating, “Now what I expect to happen is a bidding war for Jaylen Brown”.
This is exactly what the Celtics had to avoid, and whether Windy is correct or not, teams obviously smell blood in the water, and they’re looking to pounce on what is, at the very least, an awkward situation in Boston.
If he is right, and the relationship is over, what happens next may define Brad Stevens’ legacy and this era of Celtics basketball. With Brown and Jayson Tatum together, this team has had an incredibly high floor and ceiling. Their resume of success speaks for itself. Splitting that up would be a massive risk, even for a talent like Giannis.
Keeping Brown and Tatum together is the best path
Splitting them up for a package of young players, role players, and draft picks is a much greater risk, and one that could quickly close this championship window. Stevens needs to take his time and be very sure before he trades a franchise icon. The return won’t be nearly as good as Giannis, and it’s almost impossible to imagine they could even get back a player close to Brown’s level.
The best-case outcome now would appear to be a combination of young, proven prospects who can help win now, can hopefully improve, and have value contracts, plus draft picks that they can reinvest in more win-now talent. Short of some kind of Godfather offer along those lines, it’s hard to imagine Boston “winning” any trade for Jaylen Brown.
Well, that’s the second-best case outcome. The best, of course, remains sticking with the Jays. Hoping Jaylen can use this as motivation, add another chip to his shoulder, and come back even better next season, ready to compete for another title next to his partner in crime, Jayson Tatum.
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