Stevens backs Brown as Celtics shopped him in Giannis
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- Brad Stevens called Jaylen Brown "a big part" of the Celtics and "valued," while adding "I'm never going to predict the future" about Brown's long-term status
- The Celtics offered Brown and two first-round picks to Milwaukee for Giannis Antetokounmpo before the Bucks agreed to send Antetokounmpo to Miami for multiple players and picks
- Jaylen Brown averaged a career-high 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 2025-26, finishing sixth in MVP voting and earning All-NBA second-team honors
- The Celtics were still listening to trade offers for Brown from other teams even after the Bucks-Heat Antetokounmpo deal was agreed, per ESPN's Shams Charania
- Brown has three years left on a five-year, $285.4 million extension signed in 2023 and becomes eligible for a two-year, $141.9 million extension on July 26
- Brown won 2024 NBA Finals MVP, leads all active players with 83 playoff wins since 2017, and made the Eastern Conference finals six times in his decade with Boston
- The Celtics lost to Philadelphia in the first round of the 2026 playoffs — their earliest exit since 2021 — though Brown still called the season his "favorite year of my basketball career"
Why it matters: Stevens' endorsement doesn't close the door on a Brown trade: Boston was still fielding offers hours after the Giannis deal collapsed. With three years and $285.4 million left on Brown's current deal and a $141.9 million extension window opening July 26, the Celtics must soon decide whether to lock in Brown as a long-term Tatum co-pillar or pivot.
