We got another Bill Simmons podcast on Saturday night, and we got even more musings on Giannis Antetokounmpo and a potential trade to Boston. He reiterated what he has said in the past, indicating that he thinks the Celtics are out on Giannis, and his guest, Zach Lowe, added,
“I’ve certainly not sensed any great urgency from them to break up their team.”
Simmons and Lowe aren’t exactly news-breakers or reporters, but they are locked in on the NBA and have a lot of connections, sources, and well-informed friends. These guys have been following the league long enough that when they keep talking about what they think, and what sense they are getting, there’s probably a reason.
Whether you love or hate Simmons, when he goes on the record with these kinds of takes, it’s not out of nowhere. Lowe is deep in the weeds, and if you watch the clip, you’ll see how casual and nonchalant he is when talking about this hypothetical, as if he gives no real credence to the idea that Brad Stevens is going to break up the duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Keeping the Jays together is the most likely and rational outcome
And Lowe’s sense is by far the most likely outcome, and probably the right choice. Certainly the safest. Brown and Tatum are a proven winning duo of superstars under the age of 30. They complement each other well; they are both engaged on both ends, can play with or without the ball, and have very few weaknesses.
Their track record speaks for itself, as they have done nothing but rack up wins together since entering the league, including winning the championship in 2024. It might seem like desperate times after a first-round playoff loss, but we have every reason to believe this team will bounce back even stronger. It’s what they’ve always done.
Sure, there’s a real temptation to push in some chips, make an all-in type of trade, and see if you can upgrade the team by trading Brown. But how many players in the league would even fit that mold?. Of course, the big prize in all this is Giannis. But even Giannis comes with risk, as he’s older, coming off an injury, and we simply don’t know how he would fit into this scheme and alongside Tatum.
With the Jays, we know what to expect, and what we can expect is winning. Tatum is going to be healthy. Brown is coming off his best season. Mazzulla knows he needs to right his wrongs. This group is going to be extremely motivated next season, and that’s a team I’m not betting against. There may be moves on the margins, or other upgrades around the core, but at the end of the day, the cleanest path forward is sticking with what we know works.
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