2 Jaylen Brown trades Celtics could make after missing out on Giannis Antetokounmpo

After a disappointing first-round exit following a 3-1 collapse in the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics decided to be aggressive on the trade market — throwing their hat in the ring that is the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes. Alas, they came up short even after dangling Jaylen Brown, fresh off an All-NBA Second Team season, in negotiations.

The fact of the matter is that the Celtics were trying to sell high on Brown after a career season amid Jayson Tatum’s recovery from a ruptured Achilles. It’s not quite clear how Brown will be responding to the fact that Boston, the team that he’s been with since 2016, was on the cusp of trading him before the Milwaukee Bucks chose to trade Antetokounmpo away to the Miami Heat.

Perhaps this could lead to to the disgruntlement of Brown, who may not be too pleased to hear that the Celtics almost traded him away for Antetokounmpo. If Boston’s relationship with Brown proves to be beyond repair and the team has no choice but to trade him away, here are a few trades they must consider.

Celtics send Jaylen Brown home

Celtics acquire: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jonathan Kuminga, Corey Kispert, eighth overall pick of 2026 NBA Draft

Hawks acquire: Jaylen Brown

Celtics fans won’t want to trade Brown away, that’s a fact. They appreciate how Brown stepped up for the team this past season way too much to want to trade him away. But if Brown forces their hand, Boston may have no choice but to pull off the unthinkable.

There have been some rumors out there linking Brown to a potential homecoming move to the Hawks. And on paper, this makes sense for Atlanta. They have been assembling some impressive wing depth, but they can consolidate their depth to bring in a legitimate superstar of Brown’s caliber.

Brown would give the Hawks a battle-tested star to lead the scoring from the perimeter, freeing up Jalen Johnson and the rest of the team from that burden. Moreover, his defensive tenacity makes him a solid fit for a team wanting to smother opponents.

From the Celtics’ side of things, acquiring Nickeil Alexander-Walker is going to be the bare minimum in any trade talks involving Brown. Alexander-Walker blossomed into one of the best two-way weapons in the NBA, and he’s going to love being part of the system in Boston that loves to shoot the three. His on-ball creation has also improved tenfold, and it culminated in a season in which he averaged nearly 21 points a night for Atlanta.

The eighth overall pick of this year’s draft could net the Celtics the center they need in Adey Mara. Boston badly needed size this past season, and while Neemias Queta should be a keeper for the team, he’s a bit undersized as the primary big man for the Celtics. Mara could change that as a 7-foot-4 big man who can protect the rim and take up space near the basket.

Kispert should also be a strong fit in the Celtics system, while Kuminga could blossom even further under the tutelage of Joe Mazzulla and Tatum.

The Celtics could ask for Zaccharie Risacher to be included as a reclamation project of sorts, but that may prove to be too expensive for the Hawks’ taste.

Alexander-Walker is on one of the best bargain contracts in the NBA, while giving up the eighth overall pick is a hefty price already in and of itself, especially in a loaded draft class. This is certainly good value for the Celtics to get for Brown should he decide to move on.

Portland adds another Boston veteran to rising young core

Celtics acquire: Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, 2027 POR first-round pick, two second-round picks

Blazers acquire: Jaylen Brown

At first glance, the Blazers appear to be giving up way too much to bring Brown in. Brown, of course, averaged 29/7/5 this past season, keeping the Celtics afloat amid Tatum’s injury recovery.

Nonetheless, Brown is under contract for multiple more years, and he’s coming off the best season of his career, so he’s going to command a hefty return.

For the Celtics, getting three solid rotation pieces as well as a first-round pick in return for Brown could be good enough, especially two young players in Henderson and Sharpe. Henderson’s role for the Blazers moving forward is unclear; Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard are Portland’s floor generals, which could push Scoot to the side yet again.

Nonetheless, Henderson emerged as a legitimate weapon in the 2026 NBA playoffs, and the Celtics could perhaps mold him into their point guard of the future. He’s only 22 years of age as well, and he hasn’t gotten a full opportunity quite yet to be a team’s primary floor general.

Grant bounced back last season, scoring 18 points a night while mostly coming off the bench for the Blazers. He has two years left on his contract worth a total of around $70 million, and at the very least, he’ll be a positionally versatile wing for the Celtics — a solid fit in their system.

Sharpe is a legitimate X-factor; his scoring potential is through the roof, but he sometimes struggles with efficiency, and he has never been the most prolific three-point shooter.

In the end, the Blazers would want to hold on to Sharpe, as he’s quite young and contending teams need wings of his size and skill to compete. However, it takes talent to acquire talent, and Brown might be worth risking it all for.

Meanwhile, Portland is going to be rocking a starting lineup of Lillard, Brown, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan, with Holiday leading the bench mob. That is a solid core for Portland, and it’s not like they can’t replenish the team with young talent, as they have the Bucks’ firsts in 2028 and 2030 after acquiring swap rights in the Lillard trade.

The Celtics will be getting three solid pieces for Brown, including two 22-year-olds in Henderson and Sharpe, multiple picks, and a solid 3-and-D veteran in Grant. That could be a solid starting point for trade talks between these two teams.

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