Jaylen Brown Trade Inevitable, Even If It's Not for Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Boston Celtics spent weeks at the center of NBA trade rumors largely because of one name, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Multiple reports on Monday indicated that Boston and the Miami Heat are considered the two finalists in the race for the two-time MVP, with the Celtics’ offer reportedly built around Jaylen Brown. The Heat, meanwhile, have put together a package centered around Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, and the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, and reportedly could even look for a third or fourth team to sweeten the deal.

A resolution is expected sometime before the first round of the 2026 NBA draft on Tuesday night.

However, for a while now, many assumed that the Celtics would only move Brown if it meant they could land Giannis. Now, ESPN insider Brian Windhorst has pushed back on that narrative, speculating that he could be on the move regardless.

“It wasn’t that Jayson Tatum got hurt and they lost that series with Philly. I think the Boston Celtics have taken a hard look in the mirror and they have decided, we weren’t going to beat the Knicks,” Windhorst said on “Get Up.” “The Celtics are stone-cold sober and think they’re not as good as the Knicks. They’re not sure if they’re going to be as good as the Pacers next year when they come back fully healthy. And now believe they need to upgrade their team. And I am speculating that if Jaylen Brown doesn’t get traded for Giannis, they may trade him somewhere else.”

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This is a notable shift for one of the NBA’s best players. Brown is a five-time All-Star, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, and one half of the franchise’s long-standing All-NBA duo with Jayson Tatum. He’s also coming off the best season of his career, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. He carried the Celtics to a 56-26 record and finished as a legitimate MVP candidate, carrying Boston for much of the year while Tatum was sidelined.

Now, it appears the duo's days in Beantown could be numbered, even if the Celtics miss out on Giannis.

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Other teams that have been linked to Brown in recent weeks include the Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Atlanta Hawks. If the Celtics can’t beat out Miami’s offer, there’s a very realistic chance he could be playing for one of these franchises next season.

And we’ll likely know the answer within the next 24 hours.

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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 11:00 AM.