It’s been a while since Jaylen Brown was put into the rumor mill. The Boston Celtics star played a role in their extensive success in the 2020s, but in light of their recent playoff struggles over the past two years, the five-time All-Star finds himself back in trade rumors. This time, it might not be brushed off.
Celtics Could Trade Jaylen Brown for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Brown trade rumors have exclusively linked him to two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is also expected to be on the trade market this summer. Former NBA player Jay Williams floated the idea of a straight-up Brown-for-Antetokounmpo swap on his personal X account.
Giannis for Jaylen Brown straight up. Why not….
— Jay Williams (@RealJayWilliams) May 6, 2026
Williams isn’t the only one who sees it. FS1’s Nick Wright brought up that exact idea on “First Things First,” where he made his case why he believes that Brown won’t be on the Celtics next season.
“He’s done 10 years in Boston,” Wright said. “He’s won a championship. He’s been a finals MVP. He’s gotten the huge contract. What he hasn’t ever been prior to this year and wasn’t really at the end is the No. 1 guy. I think he liked it. He told us it was the most fun he’s ever had.
“I think, given the fact that Brad Stevens said we weren’t that close this year, we were 3-11 against the top seeds, we lost in round 1, that all of that and with Giannis hanging out there, makes me believe it is more likely than not that Jaylen Brown is not on the Boston Celtics next year.”
Not only that, but Wright brought two specific trade scenarios in which the following would happen between the Celtics and Bucks.
The first would be swapping Brown for Antetokounmpo straight up, with Boston having to include their first-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
The second is a little more detailed, as it would be a three-way deal involving the Celtics, Bucks, and Atlanta Hawks. The following trade would occur.
Celtics get: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Hawks get: Jaylen Brown
Bucks get: Dyson Daniels, Jonathan Kuminga, 2026 Hawks first, 2026 New Orleans Pelicans first-round pick (which has the seventh-best odds of getting the No. 1 pick), Celtics 2026 first-round pick, 2027 Bucks pick
“It is more likely than not that Jaylen Brown is not on the Boston Celtics next year.”@getnickwright breaks down a trade to send him to the Bucks and send Giannis to the Celtics 👀 pic.twitter.com/NvmhY5sJvi
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) May 6, 2026
Wright is more of a commentator than he is a reporter, but that doesn’t mean this should be brushed off. Brown seems to be confirming that he wants his own team after he got the chance to run the show in Boston. Not because he has a problem with Jayson Tatum, but because running the show got him to show his full potential.
The Celtics should not trade Brown just because of that. However, they should pounce on the chance to get an upgrade, and Antetokounmpo is that upgrade. Brown will make All-NBA after the performance he had. He was so good this year that it’s been debated whether he’ll make the first or second team.
That gives fans a pretty good idea of what it would take to get him. Antetokounmpo is one of the very few players who would unquestionably be an upgrade over Brown for the Celtics.
If the current Giannis situation played out in 2024, the Celtics would have been right to look the other way because there’s no need to mess with a championship formula. But two years later, they just got ousted in the first round. Times like those should prompt teams to consider a shakeup.
No one in Boston would be happy to get rid of Brown, but they would be ecstatic to get their hands on Antetokounmpo above all else.
