Jaylen Brown 'Bidding War' Expected by Windhorst After Celtics' Failed Giannis Trade

After the Boston Celtics failed to secure a trade for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, all eyes are now on star guard Jaylen Brown.

The Celtics had offered Brown and draft assets to the Bucks for Antetokounmpo, but Milwaukee opted to send him to the Miami Heat in exchange for a much larger package of young players and draft compensation. During Tuesday's episode of Get Up, ESPN's Brian Windhorst revealed that Brown will now be the top player on the trade market after Boston's failed pursuit of Antetokounmpo.

"Now, what I expect to happen is a bidding war for Jaylen Brown from other teams in the league," Windhorst said (3:28 mark). "In the most recent days, teams had been preparing for this eventuality, that it wouldn't be the Boston Celtics who won the Giannis sweepstakes, that there would be a Jaylen Brown market. So, we're gonna watch that."

ESPN's Shams Charania later said on the Pat McAfee Show that the Celtics "are listening to interested teams and offers for Jaylen Brown." Charania cautioned that the Celtics aren't "actively shopping" the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, but said "multiple interested teams" have engaged with the Celtics.

Windhorst had previously reported that Brown accepted the likelihood that he would be traded this offseason, noting that the 29-year-old "realizes this is a chance to turn the page in his career and that he may be getting his own team, which is something that he has thought about for some time."

However, failing to trade Brown to the Bucks leaves the Celtics in a tough position. Brown becomes eligible for a contract extension next month, but he could be unwilling to commit to Boston beyond his current deal after being floated in trade discussions.

"You put your bid in, you get involved in this. I had a few people tell me last night, 'You've gotta get a deal done if you're the Celtics when you put a player like Jaylen Brown on the table and on the line in this circumstance,'" ESPN's Shams Charania said on Get Up. "So, at minimum, there will be some fallout from this."

It sounds like Brown's time with the Celtics is coming to an end soon, and the five-time All-Star will get to show what he can do as a No. 1 option with his new team.