Just recently, the Milwaukee Bucks were ridiculed by some pundits for not getting enough back in the trade that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. Now, having seen what the Boston Celtics got back for Jaylen Brown, it's hard to argue against the Bucks' return.
The basketball world was stunned on Wednesday when news broke that Boston was dealing former Finals MVP and 2026 MVP candidate Jaylen Brown for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks. The 29-year-old wing, who just finished his 10th season in Bean Town, led his team with 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and a steal per game as the lynchpin for a No. 2 seed.
However, rumors of dissent between the Celtics' leadership group and Brown's camp swirled in recent weeks as his name was put forth in trade talks for Bucks legend Giannis Antetokounmpo. When Milwaukee ultimately opted to accept Miami's deal, which included an All-Star, two fascinating young players, and a bevy of draft picks, it seemed to be the end of the road for Brown in Boston.
But theoretically, Brown should have far more trade value than Giannis at this stage of his career. He's two years younger and is under contract for three more seasons. Furthermore, Brown has a track record of being far more durable by the end of the season, and has played in four times as many Playoff games as Giannis in the last five years.
It's hard to deny that Giannis is the better player in a vacuum, but all things considered, Brown certainly had a better season than Giannis this year and will join the Philadelphia 76ers at a much more favorable time of his career than the Greek Freak. So how does this reshape the way we view the return for Milwaukee's all-time greatest player?
The Jaylen Brown deal makes Milwaukee's Giannis trade look even better than it already did.
Even if the Celtics felt like they had to trade Brown this summer — which they clearly did, based on the fact that he's now a member of the team that defeated them in the Playoffs — it's shocking to see how little he went for. Although he's one of the marquee talents of a generation in the NBA, Paul George is no spring chicken and has suffered through injuries for much of his career. Even when he was on the court for Philadelphia, George rarely looked like his old self this season.
The 36-year-old has two years and $110.7 million left on his deal, coming off one of his worst seasons ever. Philadelphia would've had to attach draft picks just to get off his deal, let alone bring in an All-NBA player at a premium position.
Milwaukee, meanwhile, got back a 26-year-old All-Star on the cusp of his prime, the runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year and fascinating third-year player in Jaime Jaquez Jr., and an electric rookie in Kasparas Jakučionis. That's before you account for the three first-rounders, one of which became Nate Ament, a future pick-swap, and a second-rounder.
The Bucks had an opportunity to trade for Brown, but at this juncture, they would need to flip him to get the value needed to jumpstart a rebuild. If this is the price opposing teams are willing to pay for him, it's safe to say they got the best value on the market while doing right by their franchise star. I already had the Giannis trade down as a win, but this just puts an exclamation mark on it in a very meaningful way.
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