Brian Windhorst says Boston’s plan has shifted so firmly toward moving Jaylen Brown that the Celtics’ pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo wouldn’t change it. Even if Milwaukee pivots to a different deal—such as one involving the Miami Heat—Windhorst believes Brow
For the Boston Celtics, the window to keep everything the same has been shrinking for months. Another disappointing second-round playoff exit tightened the screws—and then the Giannis Antetokounmpo idea started reshaping the math.
On Monday, Brian Windhorst laid out where that change has landed. On ESPN’s “Get Up,” the insider said the Celtics have shifted their approach and put Jaylen Brown firmly on the trading block as the path toward the Milwaukee Bucks’ two-time MVP.
Windhorst’s key point wasn’t just that Brown became available. It was the timing and the certainty around the decision. He said the Celtics’ willingness to move Brown isn’t dependent on whether they land Giannis. If Milwaukee chooses the Miami Heat offer instead. Windhorst believes Brown is still going to be traded—just not to Boston.
Heat Central on X also posted Windhorst’s stance in a clip dated June 22, 2026. Windhorst said: “I believe if the Bucks choose the Miami Heat offer, Jaylen Brown will get traded somewhere else. They are going to move on here…. From what I understand,….”
In his telling, this is the kind of offseason pivot that’s already been accepted inside Boston’s building—meaning the deal the Celtics want most may not happen, but the move they want to make most likely will.
That reality appears to be landing on Brown as well. Windhorst reported that Brown is accepting of the situation and sees it as a timely opportunity to begin a new chapter in his career.
The question after that is simple, but messy: if Boston doesn’t get Giannis, where does Brown go?
One view coming from league executives is that a rebuilding Milwaukee team would move Brown quickly to a third franchise for future draft picks. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto offered a different picture. Scotto said the Bucks might consider keeping Brown as a cornerstone player rather than trading him.
That possibility creates its own tension because Brown’s stance toward Milwaukee hasn’t matched the idea of staying put. ESPN’s Marc Spears noted that Brown has no desire to play for Milwaukee, despite being under a substantial $183 million contract for the next three seasons.
So even as the Celtics adjust toward Giannis—treating Brown as the piece they can’t keep on the shelf—the endgame in Milwaukee may hinge less on Brown’s value and more on how the Bucks want to posture this offseason: flip him and reset, or keep him and build around him.
Whatever Milwaukee chooses, Windhorst’s message to the rest of the league is hard to miss: Boston’s intention to move on from Jaylen Brown doesn’t stall out just because the Giannis pursuit does.
NBA rumors Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks Miami Heat Brian Windhorst Marc Spears Michael Scotto offseason trade