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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Boston Celtics tried to land Giannis Antetokounmpo, offering Jaylen Brown and two unprotected first-round picks. But the Bucks ultimately went in another direction, sending him to Miami instead. Now, Boston is left still trying to shop its 2024 Finals MVP.
Since then, the asking price for Brown has gone up. ESPN's Shams Charania recently reported that the Celtics want at least four first-round picks in return for Brown. He's still just 29 years old and coming off the best season of his career, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, earning second-team All-NBA honors.
Several teams have circled, including the Nuggets, Clippers, Blazers, and Hornets, but no deal has gotten done yet.
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On Tuesday's "Get Up," ESPN's Vince Goodwill called out Boston for how they've handled the situation.
"The Celtics have bungled this situation from the very start," Goodwill said. "If you have made a decision that you are going to trade Jaylen Brown for Giannis Antetokounmpo, you better put every available resource in there because you're risking something like this happening. You have a player who's out there. The league doesn't want him to the degree that you feel like you're getting commensurate value. And it looks embarrassing for the player who did not ask to be traded."
"Usually, when players are dangled out there like this, it's because the player says I don't want to be here. I don't want to re-sign. That has not been the case," he added. "If they're tired of Jaylen Brown, that's fine. That's their business. But leaving him out there like this, when he's put so much equity into this team, into this franchise, is disrespectful and embarrassing."
More news: Jaylen Brown ‘Frustrated’ With Celtics — and Boston Is Running Out of Options
Kawhi Leonard appears to be on his way out of Los Angeles as trade talks between the Clippers and Raptors heat up. But Leonard's situation revolves around a stalled contract extension, while Toronto appears willing to hand him a long-term deal.
Brown's case is different. He never demanded a trade, didn't sit out, and hasn't pushed for a new deal. He just delivered an elite season, carried Boston to 56 wins and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, and he's getting shopped anyway.
Typically when a team is this adamant on trading a player of this caliber it's either because they're disgruntled and forcing their way out, or the front office is stuck at an impasse over money. Brown is neither, and he just helped deliver you an NBA title two years ago.
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At this point, it feels next to impossible that Brown remains a Celtic. The question now is, will Boston find any team willing to part with four first-round picks when they've, at this point, lost all leverage?
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