Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum Were in the Same Room When Boston Offered Brown for Giannis

The Boston Celtics tried to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. And Jaylen Brown found out about it while sitting right next to Jayson Tatum.

That awkward detail comes from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, who reported that the two Celtics stars were together when the front office made their official pitch to Milwaukee. Brown was the centerpiece of that offer. Tatum was the guy they were keeping.

“They were at the same place at the same time,” Shelburne said via SM Highlights. “I don’t know if they talked, but there was certainly an opportunity for that to happen.”

So yeah. Imagine being in a room with your coworker while your boss tries to trade you for a bigger star. And you both hear about it at the exact same moment.

Skip Bayless Thinks Brown Is the Better Player Anyway

If you need a little context on why this whole thing is so divisive, Skip Bayless gave his take on Gil’s Arena recently. He said flat-out that he would take Brown over Tatum. “Any day or night,” Bayless said. That’s a pretty hot opinion considering Tatum just made First Team All-NBA again and has been the face of the franchise for years.

But it’s not like Bayless is alone in wondering if Boston could win with Brown as the No. 1 option. The debate has been simmering for a while now, especially after the Celtics fell short in the playoffs again. Brown is an elite two-way wing. Tatum is a top-five MVP candidate. The question is whether they can actually work together long-term or if one has to go.

Brown Hasn’t Asked Out. Yet.

According to ClutchPoints, Brown has not approached Brad Stevens to request a trade. That’s notable given how public the Giannis pursuit was. Most stars would be furious. Brown, at least publicly, is keeping his head down.

But rival front offices think the Celtics were only willing to break up their two stars for a truly transcendent talent like Antetokounmpo. And now that Giannis is headed to Miami instead of Boston, the pressure changes. Other teams including the Rockets and Pelicans have made exploratory calls. The Celtics haven’t slammed the door completely. They’re listening.

Still, most executives around the league think a Brown trade this summer is unlikely. The Celtics would need to get back a package that keeps them competitive right now. And there aren’t many deals out there that do that without also making Boston worse.

So for now, Brown and Tatum are still teammates. They’re still one of the most talented duos in the NBA. They just happen to know exactly where the front office’s loyalty lies.