Giannis, Jaylen Brown Trade Idea Analyzed by Brian Windhorst After Celtics' Early NBA Playoff Exit

Brian Windhorst of ESPN floated an "extraordinarily simple" solution to resolving the drama surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks while potentially upgrading the Boston Celtics in a big way.

On Wednesday's edition of Get Up, Windhorst explained why a blockbuster trade involving Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown theoretically works:

"Of course it makes sense for Milwaukee. You've got it exactly right, Greeny. Of course, Milwaukee would see some of the stuff that Jaylen Brown is saying and watch everything, and they would get ready to call Boston.

"And from Boston's standpoint, this is very simple. In July, Jaylen Brown has the opportunity to sign a contract extension with the Celtics. If he is happy with the Celtics, it's a huge one. It can be $70 million a year. He's just coming off his best season. You're gonna offer it. If he's happy with the Celtics, sign, see you in September. If he's not happy with the Celtics, and he's like, 'Listen, I'm not sure I want to be here.' Trade. Obviously the trade execution would be a little different. This is all gonna take care of itself. And like Vinny [Goodwill] said, Brown is younger, healthier, and plays the style that has won a championship. I think if you're Boston, you're like, I'm holding on to Jaylen Brown, but if Jaylen Brown doesn't want to be here, and he's gonna go complain on media for the next year, then he can, he can address it when he doesn't sign the extension and you can deal with it."

Brown ($57.1 million) and Antetokounmpo ($58.5 million) are earning similar money in 2026-27, so that takes care of one hurdle. Purely in terms of the finances, a straight-up swap balances out.

Giannis is also the kind of marquee star who's worth it for Boston to part with somebody as tenured as Brown, and he's probably going to be available this summer.

The Bucks' half of the equation is where this scenario might be a challenge.

When Milwaukee suffered three-straight first-round exits before missing the playoffs altogether this year with Antetokounmpo, it's hard to imagine how the team improves without him. His trade would almost certainly trigger a full-scale rebuild.

Why, then, would the Bucks want a 29-year-old veteran who's expensive now and will only get more costly in the future? Brown likely wouldn't be thrilled to go from a championship contender to a lottery team, either.

If Antetokounmpo and Brown are the headliners, then wrapping a third or even fourth team into the deal could be the best path for all parties. Brown winds up in a better situation than Milwaukee, and the Bucks get assets suited more for their next phase.