The Boston Celtics officially missed out on two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on Monday night, as he was dealt to the Miami Heat for a package of cost controlled players and draft picks. 

The Celtics had reportedly been "all-in" on trying to acquire Antetokounmpo, even offering up Jaylen Brown in the deal. Brown finished sixth in the MVP voting this past season, but evidently, Milwaukee has elected to rebuild and values the draft picks.

Which leaves the Celtics in a precarious spot.

They've missed out on Antetokounmpo, which clearly derails their top offseason plan. And in the process, they've (likely) upset Brown, who has a tendency to take things personally.

But in this case? How could he not?

After all, Brown has been in the league for a decade. He's heard his name be thrown in trade rumors for the entirety of that decade. He might be callused to the notion of being included in trade rumors by fans or media members, but to actually be offered up by Brad Stevens? That just has to feel different.

After all, Stevens is more than just an executive. He was Brown's first head coach in the league. Brown grew with him, he battled for him, and he ultimately won for him as Stevens transitioned to an executive role. The Celtics won the 2023-24 title, with Brown winning the Finals MVP award.

They've had a special kind of relationship to this point, and there's a chance that it's gone now. How can everyone just come back to work on Tuesday like nothing happened? How can they play a season together in 2026-27 like nothing happened?

They might not be able to.

As a result of this trade falling through, there are two things that the Celtics can do in short order.

If Brown has already been put in trade rumors once, there's probably no harm in putting him out there in a second deal. 

If the relationship between player and front office might be irreparable anyways, then Stevens can pivot to a potentially different opportunity if he feels that a good one exists.

But, does that really exist? Brown is that good of a player and is still in his prime. Are the Celtics finding equal value now in a trade if it's not Anteokounmpo? 

If Stevens was only willing to trade Brown for Antetokounmpo, then he needs to have a very pointed conversation with him - in person. That conversation will be difficult, but if there's any chance of smoothing things out, then Stevens has to be willing to have it.

These two have a relationship that spans a decade. The hope is that that would be enough to salvage things and allow everyone to move forward.

We'll see what the ultimate outcome is.

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