682: Are We SURE Jaylen Brown Cannot Return to Boston? w/ Sean Grande

Summary

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Celtics Beat Episode 682: "Are We SURE Jaylen Brown Cannot Return to Boston?"

Date: June 25, 2026
Host: Adam Kaufman (with Evan Valenti)
Guest: Sean Grande (Longtime Celtics Play-by-Play Voice)

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Episode Overview

This deep-dive episode focuses on the Boston Celtics’ current crossroads and especially the heated debates around Jaylen Brown's future. Host Adam Kaufman and co-host Evan Valenti are joined by Sean Grande, the voice of the Celtics, for a candid, informed, and often philosophical discussion—cutting through noisy rumors and fan “narratives”—about the Celtics’ offseason, Jaylen Brown’s trade possibilities, the seismic Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to Miami, Brad Stevens’ philosophy, and the realities (and myths) of building around "The Jays" under the new CBA.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. State of the Celtics & The Giannis Trade Fallout

• Giannis to Miami: The episode starts by dissecting the recent blockbuster trade sending Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. Adam lays out the trade details and confirms Boston was genuinely interested—but not at the price Miami paid.

  • Kaufman (05:10): “I think it would have elevated your present-day team... but probably shortened your window.”

• Sean’s Reaction & Fan Backlash:

  • Grande (06:36): “I thought that... everybody became very negative about [the Giannis trade]. It’s the 'how’s my driving' bumper sticker—people are going to complain no matter what.”
  • Emphasizes that being willing to deal for MVPs (Durant, Giannis) does not mean the Celtics 'disrespect' Jaylen Brown.
  • Calls out fan/media revisionism post-trade and recalls similar reactions in 2007 around Al Jefferson/Kevin Garnett.

[05:10–10:53] Giannis Discussion

• The allure of Giannis as a Celtic.
• Why Boston didn’t match Miami’s offer.
• How the changing CBA complicates “Jays-era” roster construction.

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2. Jaylen Brown’s Future: Fact, Fiction, and Narrative

• Dispelling the "Jaylen Can’t Come Back" Myth:

  • Grande (12:43): “I am very much in the minority when it comes to this idea that Jaylen somehow can't come back... There’s no factual evidence to back it up other than people wanting to say it because it sounds good.”
  • Brad Stevens and Jaylen are “adults in the room.” Grande trusts Stevens’ honest, direct approach.

• Media & Fan Narratives:

  • The show laments how drama is manufactured for talk radio/clicks: “People are just choosing the pieces of this stew... to make their narrative work and not recognizing all the different parts.” (Grande, 16:45)

[12:43–20:12] Jaylen Brown Trade Discourse

• Trade rumors are not new: Jaylen has always been professional.
• Buyer’s remorse is a risk if Boston trades away the “best player in the deal.”
• Brad Stevens' communication with Jaylen is highlighted as respectful and transparent.

Memorable Quote:

“If Jalen Brown has played his last game as a Celtic, you'll never see the number 7 in green again because that number is going up.” (Grande, 19:10)

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3. Replacing Jaylen: Can Celtics Win Trades Without a Star Return?

• Team-Building Philosophy:
  • "Moneyballing" Jaylen's impact—can the team survive if they use assets to build depth instead?
  • Grande is skeptical any return will make fans happy, unless it’s “shoot the moon” territory (i.e., Zion Williamson-level upside).
  • Team may have to “trust in Brad and in Jalen that if he does come back here, everything’s going to be fine.” (27:02)

[23:55–32:23] Aggregate Replacement & Trade Scenarios

• Discussion of make-believe multi-team deals (e.g., Zion + Trey Murphy).
• Grande: “Trey Murphy for Jaylen Brown is not going to work from a public relations standpoint.” (30:22)
• No perfect deal likely; putting faith in Boston’s leadership is critical.

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4. The CBA, The Window, and Team-Building Realities

• Why the Celtics’ Dilemma Is Unique:

  • The new CBA penalizes teams with two supermax wings—this wasn’t foreseeable when Boston built around Tatum & Brown.
  • Grande (40:27): “How many teams have won the championship... with two wings as their best players? Don't worry, I'll wait—play your Jeopardy music.”
  • Parity, injuries, and luxury tax/second-apron concerns reshaping the league.

• Historical Perspective:

  • Boston’s sustained success is rare: “There’s a price to pay for being the best team.” (41:57)

[36:00–44:44] Giannis v. Garnett, Salary Cap Lessons & NBA Parity

• Giannis possibly a “bullet dodged.”
• KG comparison: Both MVPs, but different eras and cap dynamics.
• “First world problems”: Boston’s difficulties are enviable compared to most NBA teams.

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5. Broader NBA & Celtics Outlook

• Reflection on Knicks’ Title & NBA Parity:

  • Grande and Kaufman agree the “joy” of fanhood is sometimes lost in championship expectations and constant Finals/Playoff runs.
  • Knicks’ run a reminder to savor each season.

• Season Outlook:

  • Next year’s Celtics expected to be even better just by virtue of health and minor improvements.
  • New York as possible ring-night host for Celtics.

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6. What Happens Next? Timeline & Clarity on Jalen

• No Clean Resolution Right Away:

  • Grande (52:06): “I think it probably comes when we least expect it... I don’t think there is a date.”
  • NBA calendar quirks could mean the decision drags into the summer, with the Jalen Brown extension eligibility period only an arbitrary media checkpoint.

• Final Word on Jaylen Rumors:

  • “The worst case scenario here is that Jalen Brown, one of the best players in the NBA, on a Hall of Fame trajectory and an NBA Finals MVP... comes back and is a Boston Celtic.” (Grande, 55:05)

[52:06–59:00] Timelines & Extension Details

• Reminder: Boston is not incentivized to extend Jaylen early.
• “Brad’s going to do what is best for the Celtics.”
• No evidence Jalen “cannot return.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Fan Reaction & Perspective:

• “People are just choosing the pieces of this stew... to make their narrative work and not recognizing all of the different parts.” (Grande, 16:45)

On Trading Jaylen:

• “You trade Jaylen Brown, you’re sending out the best player in the deal.” (Grande, 25:47)

On CBA/Team-Building:

• “The Celtics built a championship caliber team for a decade now around the Jays because the CBA allowed them to do that. The CBA was changed...” (Grande, 37:14)

On The "Jays" Era’s Rarity:

• “The Boston Celtics nine years ago... won the draft lottery at halftime of a conference finals game that they were playing in!” (Grande, 42:25)

On Perspective:

• “First world problems... There are teams so many light years from the playoffs, light years from the conference finals...” (Grande, 41:57)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 05:10 – Giannis trade breakdown & Celtics’ decision-making
• 10:53 – Why Milwaukee preferred Miami’s package
• 12:43 – Debunking the “Jaylen can’t return” narrative
• 19:10 – Jaylen Brown’s legacy & number retirement
• 23:55 – Can Boston win a ‘trade of the best player’?
• 30:00 – Imaginary trade scenarios (Zion, Murphy, etc.)
• 36:00 – Giannis v. KG: Career minute/mileage parallels
• 40:27 – Wings championship trivia & the CBA dilemma
• 41:57 – Celtics’ “First World Problems” and sustained success
• 52:06 – Jaylen Brown timeline: No set date, just checkpoints
• 55:05 – “Worst case” with Jaylen is still good for Boston

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Conclusion & Takeaways

• No, Jaylen Brown is NOT untradable but also NOT persona non grata.
  • The idea that he “cannot return” is a media/fan creation, not grounded in fact or team dynamics.
• Boston will only move him for the right deal—likely a very high bar.
• The new CBA reality has forced a reckoning on team-building in Boston and league-wide.
• The Celtics are still well-positioned—no matter what unfolds—to be top contenders next year.
• True closure on the Jalen Brown situation likely comes only when the dust settles deep into the offseason—if at all before next year’s trade deadline.
• Perspective: Celtics fans, despite the drama, are living an enviable era compared to most NBA fan bases.

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Endnote:
This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking an unvarnished, historically grounded, and pragmatic view of where the Celtics stand. Grande’s long lens and Kaufman’s measured approach keep the debate rooted in fact, not just feelings—or “trade machine” pipe dreams.

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Transcript

[Adam Kaufman]

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[Sean Grandy]

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[Sean Grandy]

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[Sean Grandy]

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Avatar Fire and Ash now streaming on Disney. Rated PG13. Today's Thursday, June 25th and this is Celtics Beat on CLNS Media, the leading online provider of audio video coverage of the Boston Celtics. I'm Adam Kaufman. Episode 682 features a longtime voice of the Boston Celtics, Sean Grandy.

[Evan Valenti]

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[Adam Kaufman]

Hey everybody, welcome in. It is the Jaylen Brown still a Celtic edition of Celtics Beat. Version one of I don't know how many weeks, months, years. Time will tell. Yeah, Brown is a Celtic still. Giannis Antentokounmpo no longer a buck a member of the Miami Heat. Welcome in. We will certainly discuss that all the fallout comments by Brad Stevens, the president of basketball operations and of course the Seas added a couple of draft picks. Chris Sak Jr. Out of Houston, Dylan Brooks. Dylan, no Dylan.

[Evan Valenti]

What is it? Mitchell?

[Adam Kaufman]

You know what? He should be so lucky as to be Dylan Brooks. Dylan Mitchell, enemy number one across the NBA out of St. John's so thank you for hanging out here with us, Adam Kaufman, Evan Valenti, and of course the guest of honor, Sean Grandy, longtime voice of the seas. Thrilled to have him on with us. We always go a little bit longer than we plan. We go down so many different rabbit holes and honestly I'm just, I'm, I'm eager for it, John. I'm eager for your insights, your analysis, your internal review of, of what is happening with the Boston Celtics here in late June.

[Sean Grandy]

I can sum it up in three words. I like cats.

[Adam Kaufman]

Yeah, that, that segues as well, I think, to what Jaylen Brown has been up to, of course, overseas, abroad, speaking out against espn and Stephen A. Smith still occasionally mixing in random obscure tweets. Many are wondering, where's Jason Tatum in all this? Appears he's going to be in a catalog of some sort. He's just shirts off, posting modeling photos and not addressing anything going on with his current, past, perhaps future teammate. But let's begin with Giannis, guys, because this thing had a, had a date, had a timeline. We knew Giannis was going to be traded before the NBA draft and while it didn't, you know, go all the way down to the wire, happens around midnight eastern couple days back. It was in all the reporting between Boston, between Miami, you can believe the Celtics were genuinely interested. Obviously the reports would indicate that or you could believe that in some universe Boston just wanted to ratchet up the price for Miami and you know, make Pat Riley have to spend more. And it was a leverage play. But you know, you could do, you could talk yourself into all of these things. But here's the package that Boston had no interest in matching or exceeding. Giannis Tentacounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat for Tyler Hero, Khalil ware, Jaime Hawkez Jr. Casper is whatever the hell. Three first round picks including number 13 in that draft. One pick swap, one second round pick. This was not the Giannis for Jalen straight up that everybody had going on in make believe land. I will just start by saying this, Sean. As the time went on, two things were going on in my brain. One, just because Brad Stevens is renowned, he and I just, I say Brad but all of basketball ops since he has ascended to that role replacing Danny Ainge. They are renowned for operating in the shadows. And generally speaking, anytime a potential acquisition be a trade free agency is mentioned in the media, especially men mentioned and mentioned and mentioned and mentioned, the less likely it is to be true. Usually it's the guy that nobody is talking about and comes out of nowhere and that's the one that Brad ultimately acquires. So that was one thing. The more we heard about Giannis, the less I kind of believed it was going to happen. The other thing was I was kind of wishing it would. I was kind of hoping that while recognizing the title window, if everything went well, you know, Giannis is healthy, there's no future Achilles issue, lingering calf issues, anything like that. Ian Tatum I think would have been a blast to watch. They would have filled out the roster, however, they would have filled it out and I think it would have elevated your present day team in terms of your championship ceiling but probably shortened your window. That's how I viewed it. That was kind of the two prong. Here's what's bouncing around, pinballing around the brain. I want to know, as the play by play guy and obviously someone much closer to the organization than Evan is, than I am, what was going through your head?

[Sean Grandy]

It frightens me to say it, but not dissimilar thoughts than you had. I'm not sure how often I've said that before Goffman, but I think we were pretty much in lockstep. I have been surprised at the reaction on a variety of different levels. I probably shouldn't be that everyone was very negative towards the potential acquisition of Giannis and then when it didn't happen everybody became very negative about that. So again you go back to the how's my driving bumper sticker where nobody in the history of that bumper sticker ever said you know what, I just wanted to call and tell you your guy backed out of a loading dock across traffic and I thought it was awesome and I just wanted to call and tell you so people are going to complain no matter what. I thought that and I'm sure we'll get into this whole debate. I've been, I'm done hearing how the Celtics have disrespected Jaylen Brown. I think that's one of the most absurd takes history. When you look at the last 10 years, I don't think you are disrespected when the two players you have even entertained discussions about trading for are two multi time MVP first ballot hall of Famer generational top 25 players in the history of the game in Kevin Durant four years ago and Giannis now. But I think the bigger picture thing I think people were missing and maybe it's about where they are now. Can you win a championship with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum? Brad Stevens says yes. Maybe the answer is yes. Can you build a championship team in the current CBA climate with two supermax players that essentially play the same position. That's what happened. The CBA changed after the Celtics became Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum centric. And if you want to say Jaylen Brown, let's pretend that Jaylen Brown and Giannis are identical. On the imaginary Ringer poll of the top 100 players, let's say they come in tied, dead heat. Who's a better fit? What do the Celtics and their current roster need more? A 610 guy who goes downhill or what Jaylen Brown does? And no one can question the year that he just had, you know, fourth in the criteria or sixth in real life, Right. In MVP voting. And so I was surprised to, on the one hand, how many people were like, no, you can't trade Jaylen Brown for Giannis. And then I remembered, here's one of the advantages of being, as you'd like to refer to me multiple times as the longtime voice of the Celtics. I am old enough to have lived through the summer of 2007 when the Boston Herald did a poll and said, would you trade Al Jefferson for Kevin Garnett? And 81% of the fans said no, because they were so into their young players. All of us, and especially Tommy had done such a great job of selling the young players and Al and Delonte west and all these guys that the thought of letting them go and people just didn't understand at that time that Kevin Garnett was one of the 15 or 20 greatest players of all time. And I think because he, as I think you pointed out on one of these recent podcasts, the last time Giannis sniffed the second round, Grant Williams is the guy who snuffed it out, hitting all those threes. Maybe that's hurt his legacy, but Giannis is the Eastern Conference player of the decade to this point, and he's what, 22 months, 21 months older than Jalen. So just for those reasons, the people that scoffed at the idea, I don't understand why the Celtics wouldn't take a swing. And then the last thing in this long winded answer, and you can decide what you want to go from it, is I'm surprised at how many people are saying, how could the Bucs take that instead of Jalen Brown? That's exactly what the Bucs needed was players and, and resetting and all the picks. And I've heard it's just a pile of nonsense. It's not. There's some good players in there. Yaka Jones, who played pretty well, he got that surprise start I don't even remember this game. Right before Christmas, when Miami was here on Friday night. He played a lot in that game. And you got the picks. You got the pick swaps all the things the Celtics could not. Don't have. And you know why, by the way, here's something that nobody is discussing. Nobody. You know why the Celtics don't have a Trevor treasure trove of high draft picks or whatever? Because they've been the best team for the last 10 or 12 years. So, yeah, they haven't had a top 12 pick since Tatum. This is what happens. This is the price you pay for being good.

[Evan Valenti]

Yeah, it's. When you have.

[Adam Kaufman]

You.

[Evan Valenti]

You can't trade at Hugo Gonzalez or. Or Baylor Shireman, because when you trade Jaylen Brown, you need those guys to kind of step up a little bit. You know, Miami is looking to, you know, drastically improve their roster, whereas, you know, the Celtics are obviously trying to improve their roster by adding Giannis. But at the same time, you know, when you trade Jalen Brown away, you're hoping to acquire Giannis and put them around guys that are. That, you know, you have found and hit on at the end of the first round. It's a little bit more important when those guys have more defined roles around a superhuman like Giants. But like Miami, you know, they're going to.

[Adam Kaufman]

They're going for it all.

[Evan Valenti]

So those picks that they might have in the future, screw them. We have Giants. Let's get.

[Sean Grandy]

I just. I thought the criticism towards Milwaukee for taking that instead of Jalen Brown. This is why for a month or however long we've been forced to talk about this, there was always a discussion about a third team because it made no sense for Jalen Brown to go to Milwaukee. I was surprised at how many people in the Bucs organization were clearly warming up to the idea of just running it back with Jalen as the. As the main guy, which didn't make sense to me. For what Milwaukee wants to accomplish, he makes a lot more sense. And in Atlanta or New Orleans or Portland or any other Houston or any other places, that people will now be throwing darts at the board. That's the worst part of it not happening is now what we're going to have to live through, because the other. As a lifelong holder of minority opinion, the other one I will add to this conversation is I am very much in the minority when it comes to this idea that Jalen somehow can't come back to the Celtics. I think that's. That's a ridiculous take. And there's no factual evidence to back it up other than people wanting to say it because it sounds good and people reacting, getting in their feelings the way Jalen clearly isn't. The way. In Brad's conversation you heard last night, Brad is talking to Jalen. We have adults in the room here. There's conversations going on. So I reject the notion that the idea that he was in a trade conversation is a reason that he couldn't come back. If you want to say he's ready to move on after last year and being the number one guy. Wants to be the number one guy. And it was my favorite year. Well, you want to talk about that stuff, I get it. But the idea that Jalen couldn't come back here to a team that he won a championship with two years ago, that won 50 plus games, that won 60 plus games in 20, 25, it's. It's ridiculous.

[Adam Kaufman]

All right, so multiple places I want to go with this and that what you just brought up is one of them. So let's start there. We have heard a lot of people, as you just mentioned, this is not just fans. This is, you know, media, locally, nationally. So what's next? Where's he going? Is it Atlanta? Is it New Orleans? Is it where you trading Jaylen Brown? Because you can't possibly, after dangling him in another trade, bring him back. And what I keep saying to people and what I keep thinking, it's like, am I taking crazy pills here? As you said, Brad Stevens, I think the world of Brad, not only just as a person, but mostly the way that he conducts himself. There are adults in the room. Jalen is one of those adults. And say what you want about the way that he has, you know, I don't know, responded to certain things, what he has said on stream or in some of these, you know, whatever appearances in France, whatever the hell he's doing. I refuse to believe as forthcoming is Brad generally is with the media, that he is any less forthcoming in private conversations, behind closed doors with people that he values like a Jaylen Brown, obviously. And so I can't imagine that there aren't conversations that have taken place several over the last weeks, months, whatever it's been with Jalen, with his team, his representation, whoever that, hey, listen, here's what's going on. We are pursuing this. You are a part of this. I understand that you might be interested in a fresh start anyway, things that you brought up. But also, we love you, we'd love to have you back. If this happens, this happens. If it doesn't, you're no less part of our plan in terms of. It's just. This is one door. This is another door. You've won a championship here, your finals mvp. You're coming off the best year of your career. You're, you know, you, you work seamlessly alongside Jason Tatum. All of these things. I don't. It's one thing if all of these conversations are happening independent of Jalen, he's not a part of it, then yeah, it's another added to the Boulder size chip that's on the guy's shoulder and all the different slights that he has taken to heart over the years in and around Boston, nationally and beyond. But assuming those conversations have happened and that everything has been handled respectfully behind the scenes, as again, I believe they, they probably have been, Sean, then I, I don't think Jalen is, you know, deeply offended or any worse for the wear. I, I think like the two could have a. There doesn't need to be this difficult conversation, this heart to heart that people keep talking and writing about. I think it's just. Okay, we. Well, that didn't happen. So guess what? You're still with us. Let's move forward. Or let's not. Maybe we're pursuing another deal. Maybe we're trying to, you know, make you happy as well and, and send you home to Atlanta or send you to a spot where you can be with a, a play in or.

[Evan Valenti]

Or.

[Adam Kaufman]

Or low east seated playoff team and you can compete for. For postseason contention and can and be the guy, the alpha, the one A. And as you loved so much last year. I'm rambling, I realize, but I think that this was probably handled just fine behind the scenes to where there isn't this, you know, come to Jesus that is required in order to bring Jalen back.

[Sean Grandy]

Brad and Jalen being on the same page. Brad and Jalen being flexible. Brad and Jalen being malleable. Brad and Jalen being okay with whichever way this comes out is not great copy for the morning shows. It's not great copy for talk radio. It has to be this side against this side. There has to be a chasm between the Celtics and Jalen Brown. Does anybody, having watched the dude for the last year, would he prefer the rest of his career be in Boston? Probably. Does anybody think he is going to be devastated that his life is going to be destroyed if he ends up being number one guy on another team? It's not. I think he's, he's probably pretty intellectually curious about that. Why wouldn't you be he's deserved that. He's earned whatever it is he wants. He has earned. You don't get what you want, it's going to happen the way it's going to happen. Whatever is best for the Celtics, clearly. But I think people are just choosing the pieces of this stew. They're plucking it out of the pot to make their narrative work and not recognizing all of the different parts that we have seen. The people that want to make Jalen the victim. And it's not Jalen doing that, by the way. It's people are saying the Celtics in mystery. They're not. They ignore the stuff about this being my favorite season or whatever. The people that are somehow anti Jalen Brown and pointing to the fact that he was saying everybody in Boston, we all know he was saying the same thing all year long. He wasn't trying to make anybody offended. He wasn't trying to put down Jason Tatum of the championship. He was simply trying to support the team that he led this this year. But that's not sexy. Instead, and by the way, if he had asked me, which he didn't, should I say this on the stream after we lost the 31 lead to the Sixers, I would say, listen, it's your stream and you've earned the right to say what you want. But if you say this, this is what's going to happen. And I think all of us from, you know, who were close to it as this was going on during the season, we knew this was an issue. You and I, us, the three of us have probably had this conversation before about how the, the little things that to their credit, they never staged anything. But both Jalen and Jason could have staged things, little tiny things throughout the course of the year that would have made all of this go away, all of it go away. Instead, people are talking about it and they filled column inches and they filled talk show segments and here we are. But the real discussion is I think every Celtic fan wants what's best for Jalen. I think most Celtic fans in their heart of hearts want him back. One is to finish his career here. But I'll tell you this. If Jalen Brown has played his last game as a Celtic, you'll never see the number 7 in green again because that number is going up. And wait, obviously I had some stuff ready if it had happened the other night to sort of encapsulate Jalen Brown Celtic career if it is over. And it's extraordinary when you consider people forget he was here a year before Tatum and That was a conference final year. So his playoff years, the number of wins, I, I think this is starting to get around now. But do people realize that no player has been in more winning games in the NBA during the time he has been in the league than Jalen Brown winning? And by the way, that's a stat we probably don't talk about enough, isn't it? Winning games? Because that's the whole point of this whole thing is winning games. I know it's, oh, it's going to win championships and the Celtics have only won one championship. And okay, whatever, you know, you have to put yourself around it and then hope everything else breaks for you. As it did for the Raptors in 2019 and as it did for the team on 7th Avenue over the last few weeks.

[Adam Kaufman]

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[Evan Valenti]

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[Adam Kaufman]

Back with Sean Grandy, Ev, Adam and all of you. We thank you for hanging out here with us. We remind you rate, review, subs, podcast the audio version wherever you find and download your podcast and of course, video as part of the CLNS YouTube page. Whether on the all access page or the main page, you will find us and a whole bunch of other great Celtics content, including Brad Stevens, Mike Zarin, among others, talking about these new draft picks. Brad, who's pretty forthcoming, talking about Jalen just the other night, even I don't know, kind of if you read the tea leaves a little bit or, or look be, you know, know, try and see the forest through the trees, so to speak. He said he can't see the future. This wasn't exactly the J's or the pillars of the organization conversation that we've heard in the past. It was very much things are up in the air. So that's where I, I kind of want to go next. And Sean, you can bring in the Brad comments if you'd like as well. Let you expand upon that. But as much as the Jalen can't come back here, as we just talked about conversation drives me nuts. The other end of the conversation, that is I, I just think stupid and, and I don't know. It's. This is where we kind of separate the, the, the actual ball people like to say ball knowers.

[Sean Grandy]

Right.

[Adam Kaufman]

The actual ball watchers versus the Casuals. Is everyone just assuming that if the Celtics do trade Jalen Brown because you have moved conceivably the best player in the deal, you've therefore lost the trade. And I just don't believe that. Now you got to tell me what the deal looks like. Is Trey Murphy coming back? Is it a collection of guys from the Hawks? Is it some team? I'm not even thinking of. We're just going off of what's been reported, obviously. But if Evan Mobley. Another one. We've been talking about Mobley on this show. I don't even know. For a month and a half we've been talking about Evan Mobley, but Chris Mannix just mentioned it and all of a sudden it's taken off as well. This is. I think that if Jalen is replaced by multiple starter level players and maybe some assets like future first round picks that are coming down the pike as well, and you are to Moneyball this thing, as I like to say around here, replace replacing Jalen in the aggregate, you know, are you losing a top end player that can carry you when Jason Tatum misses time? Of course, none of those guys, Murphy, Mobley, guys like that, I don't think fit that bill. But are you maybe better filling out the roster and addressing certain needs of which they are glaring right now as you try and compete for a championship or at least representing the Eastern Conference? Yeah, I think that's possible. I don't automatically assume that moving Jaylen Brown, even though it's not Giannis coming back, is a bad thing for the organization on the floor.

[Sean Grandy]

You think when Brad Pitt said that line in the movie, he thought 20 years later everybody would be using it? Recreating in the aggregate. Who's the trivia question? Who was the player he was talking about? Who do they have to recreate? Jason Giami.

[Evan Valenti]

Yeah.

[Sean Grandy]

With what? Haddenberg, Dave justice and. And his brother. Right, Right.

[Evan Valenti]

Yeah.

[Sean Grandy]

I think Celtic fans have to. Who? The ones who didn't even want Giannis, are going to have to put their heads around this fact. If the Celtics end up making a Jalen Brown trade this summer, they're going to be sending out the best player in the trade. There's no. Because that's a very select group of players who are better than Jalen Brown and one of them arguably would have been Giannis. Positionally, you know, I don't think anybody, even Evan Mobley is like, did you watch Evan Mobley during the playoffs? Like, is this. Is this the player? I don't. I just see no scenario by which you trade Jaylen Brown and people are going to be happy about it. Everybody's got their own imaginary. I mean, why not? I suppose you fall into imaginary traits right now. Is there, is there a magic player out there? Is there, you know, a magic bean that's going to somehow be this front court player that could change the whole, change the whole game and change. So I mean, there might be one. One, but I don't see this. I just don't see it happening. I don't see a deal that's going to make people happy. So at some point, people are going to have to put their faith and their trust in Brad and in Mike Zarin and in, in Jalen that if he does come back here, everything's going to be fine.

[Evan Valenti]

It's a dicey situation and you could completely change the landscape of your future with one. Because, like, not to say that they could bring people in would be great, but we have a good idea of what these two guys look like together when they're healthy and they have a good enough team around them to kind of make things work. So like I say this like, oh, you could change your future, could be way better. You could even be a boat for those of you Family guy. But you know, what you have with these two guys and magic box, what's

[Sean Grandy]

in the magic box?

[Evan Valenti]

It's, it's one of these things where you have this known commodity and there's still a lot of ways that this can possibly go. Like, this team is going to have way more building vessels than just trading a Jalen Brown. It's much more difficult, don't get me wrong. It's not like it's not impossible, but, you know, trading Jalen Brown at this point just feels like a wow, we really screwed this up kind of move, Sean. Like, we really kind of blew. We, we kind of blew this and we handled this and, and maybe passes, you know, affecting this, but we really kind of blew this because we, I

[Sean Grandy]

wonder, I wonder if it's got. I, I truly wonder if it's going to happen because I don't think Brad's going to be forced into, oh, we didn't get this one guy. So let me get something else in the store. As long as we. I, I don't, I don't buy into that narrative. I mean, am I, am I missing something? Do you guys have somebody that is a, that potential Magic bean that could, that is the potential upside that makes this the deal of the century?

[Adam Kaufman]

No, I mean, I think there are some trades out there that would be worth considering, but nothing that. And, and, and when I say that, I say that in the land of like make believe and ESPN trade machine and yeah, you know, that sort of thing.

[Sean Grandy]

That's where we're going to be living. Right, Right. That's. We're gonna, we're living in the land of make believe now. So, you know, why not. Everybody's gonna, you're gonna see, forget the quote unquote, legitimate media printing rumors and stuff that they've heard. And this team has a certain interest now you've got for everyone that's even legitimate as a, as a media member that's going to tweet nonsense or report what they may have heard. There's a hundred accounts outside them.

[Adam Kaufman]

I mean, I'll give you an example. I saw this on Instagram the other

[Evan Valenti]

day and this is just great, Great stores, coffee.

[Adam Kaufman]

No, but, but that's my point. That's, that's just what people are doing. They're playing with the trade machine. But to give you, to give you an idea, right. Hawks get Jaylen Brown. The Pelicans in a three team deal. Get Jonathan Kaminga, Corey Kispert, Re Sachet Hower. Multiple picks. The Celtics saving the best for last. Get Zion, Trey Murphy, missy and a first rounder from Atlanta in 2029. That's a deal that I would do. Do I think it's on the table? No.

[Sean Grandy]

I was weighing the six. I couldn't decide if I wanted to get aggregated or not because I thought you might follow up and say, do you have that guy? Do you have that one guy? That's the guy. To me, if you're, if you're going to shoot the moon and roll the dice and swing for the fences, that to me is the only guy that I can see doing that for Zion.

[Evan Valenti]

Yeah.

[Sean Grandy]

Yeah. Because we know what the potential problems are. But you always forget what you know when he's healthy and when he's motivated or when he's in shape and the dude's 26 years old and, you know, obviously I think it's a total pie in the sky. Do you empty what you have? Can you get. Obviously Murphy's a guy that's very valuable that you really want. Trey Murphy for Jalen Brown is not going to work from a public relations standpoint. But the question is, is New Orleans? I talked to a couple of people over the last couple of days about this. Down there is New Orleans. You get different answers. Is New Orleans ready to get out of the Zion business? I do. They have bigger issues as a franchise right now that they've got a sort through. So to me, I just, I do not see the deal. Do I think that's realistic. I do not. So that's why I'm sort of of the mindset of maybe you trade Jalen but you don't do it because the talk shows tell you you have to. I just think that's absurd. When you've been. When Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum have been together, which by the way they were for what, 14, 15 games this year, pretty good. Pretty good game seven. I don't think they were together this year. And that was at Jason Tatum at 80% and still trying to acclimate to the way the Celtics were playing. And I mean someone asked me the cell that's going to be better next year. Now the win total at that gap year, that's why you're picking 27th, by the way, because the gap year Celtics won 15 more games than they were supposed to.

[Evan Valenti]

Right.

[Sean Grandy]

So total number of wins wise, the Celtics are going to win 56 again. Who knows? Because the Eastern Conference is going to be totally different. Teams aren't going to be tanking all that different kind of stuff you're going to be dealing with. But how are the Celtics not better just by definition with forget all the little things Kada a year better, maybe Derrick White coming, you know, progression to the mean in terms of the shooting, all the different ways you could get a little bit better. And then one of the best players in the world going from 80 to 30, theoretically 100% and being able to play most of the games. How are you not better going into this year? And you guys are big on the gambling stuff, right? The Celtics are favored in the Eastern Conference. Now that to me, that's a slap in the face on the board, which

[Adam Kaufman]

doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

[Sean Grandy]

Yeah, the dudes that just won it. And by the way, while we're on that topic, I know everyone was so in their feelings the last time I was with you guys. I think I had the city of Philadelphia behind me and the Celtics just went up 2:1 in the series on their way to going up 3:1 obviously before they lost. So things felt a little bit different. But how would Celtic fans have felt if the Celtics had lost for the Knicks, which they would have. What if they had lost in five? What if Spike Lee and Chalamet and Ben still everybody had come up to TD garden here for game five and had one of those. How would people feel about that? You know, people going crazy about losing in the you win or you don't win. Like who cares if it was 31 or 30 or 3.

[Evan Valenti]

3.

[Sean Grandy]

What happened, happened. And the team that was probably destined to go out in the first round at the start of the year ended up going out in the first round. They just had a 60, 89 game, 83 game fever dream in between the 03 start and the 03 finish.

[Adam Kaufman]

You know, I, I think that to circle it back to Giannis for a second because again, that's, you know, we're now going to be living in this alternate universe where we're watching very closely what he does in Miami and potentially either thinking, what if or hated, we dodge a bullet. And there is a part of me, and I say this as the guy who started off the show saying, as time went on, I was rooting for it to happen. I can't help but feel that in a couple of years we may look back and say Celtics dodged a bullet, given the return. I mean, I think the, I think giving up Jalen and just the totality of it, right? Multiple firsts, Ugo, Baylor, just all of it for the one dude or maybe the one dude plus Portis, you know, I think that would have been too much. I think a lot of people would not have liked that. I think the package was too great. But even if we were, again, fantasy land talking about Jalen for Giannis, straight up, I am petrified. I, I think Giannis is a top five player, obviously, when he's right, like you said, player of the decade in the east. And he's incredible. And it would have been so much fun to watch he, he and Tatum together and addressing many of those interior needs that, that Boston has. But I also, in that same breath, think, man, I mean, dude played what, 30 games last year? The history of the calf injuries, we've seen calf turn into Achilles. Is he that one wrong move away from missing an entire year? What if you got him and you didn't win? Doesn't mean you'll win again with Jaylen. But what if you, you mortgaged everything, so to speak, and you didn't win? Because I look at, maybe I'm wrong and I know, like, kudos, Pat Riley, you brought in LeBron, you brought in Shaq, you brought in Butler, now Giannis, like, he's going for it. But I don't know if I'm, if I'm nuts. I don't think Miami is going to be a contender in the Eastern Conference. Not the way the roster exists right now anyway. You know, I look at Miami as a, you know, a play in team or a five seed, maybe a four. Like I don't, I don't look at Miami and say this is a team that's going to go out and take the East. So I think it is possible that Boston will be better off not having Giannis again, depending on how this plays out. And even if he stays healthy and he is individually great, I just don't think the Heat are really going anywhere with him. I don't know.

[Sean Grandy]

We don't, we don't know who's going to be around them, how they'll eventually fill that roster out over the next, by the trade deadline, next year, by next summer, into the second year of Giannis, and bam, we don't know what it's going to look like. Obviously they're in great shape having those players. I think you could make the argument that Giannis lost out, that he would have been better off coming, not weather wise, but other factors. But he, he, you know, obviously would have been beloved here in Boston. It would have been a great environment for him to be in. But this is. You're talking about the potential for injury. And I know we're all been trained now to think if somebody has a calf injury that their Achilles is going to snap the next time they step on the floor, which obviously isn't always the case, but we're all terrified now because star players are going down. But I was curious about this in the ramp up on Monday night in case it had gone the other way. Giannis has played 29, 000 minutes in his NBA career. You want 29, 000? You want to guess how many Kevin Garnett had played before he came here? Giannis was 29, 000. What's the Garnett number?

[Evan Valenti]

28.

[Sean Grandy]

$29,000. $36,000.

[Adam Kaufman]

Wow. Price is right rules, man.

[Sean Grandy]

It was the point that, yeah, there's

[Adam Kaufman]

mileage on the belt.

[Sean Grandy]

Giannis was three months older than Garnett was when he came here and KG had way more miles on him. And again, just as it's unfair to compare, you know, Giannis is a top 25 player of all time. KG is probably top 20 player of all time. So that's an unfair comparison. But you know, as someone who lived through the Garnett years here seeing a potential reprise, I'm a lot higher on Giannis the individual than I think a lot of people here seem to be over the last. Not just the roster fit, but just that he is one of the greatest players ever would have been amazing. You know, you would have been Jason Tatum and Giannis, it would have been an unbelievably sexy show here for the. I still think they're going to send us to New York, right, for ring night. They have to, right? I mean they have to. You could make the argument for Miami now obviously with the honest being there, but why waste that on ring night? You could send Indiana with Halliburton coming back. But remember the Knicks were here two years ago for opening night. They had to watch the Celtics get there. So I'm just sort of assuming that. That that's where we're going to be on opening night. But I was. I think I labeled myself in the ramp up to it, to be honest. I labeled myself as sort of Giannis curious about the whole thing. But I do think it's a. There's a roster issue and you can't. The Celtics built a championship caliber team for a decade now around the Jays because the CBA allowed them to do that. The CBA was changed the way it's set up here and the second apron and the penalties that changed during the ramp up to this. Again, being so old that I lived through this when I was in my 20s. You guys know I'm doing TV in Minnesota and I was there when Kevin Garnett had just gotten signed to that ridiculous crazy contract. And then they changed the rules and came up with a salary cap and didn't grandfather that deal in. So it became impossible. There were no max contracts then you signed Garnett at a time there was no max number. And then you created a salary that was completely unfair to the Timberwolves because suddenly you had Kevin Garnett making 20 million when the max salary was 12 and you couldn't put players around him. And something on a smaller scale really happened to the Celtics here. The rules changed and. And now we're seeing the Knicks. Dolan doesn't want to go into the second apron. Can you imagine, by the way, if the Celtics have won the second championship and then they decided they weren't going to go into the second. There would have been riots in the street. I'm surprised they're just so happy. And I was in. I was in mid Manhattan on the night they won the championship and it was incredible place to be to soak it all in the euphoria there. This is the time if you're going to do anything ridiculous if you don't do it now because his stock will never be higher. But I just. That's unfathomable to me that you win the championship and the first thing you do is I guess you have cover behind the Blazers now, right? Like everybody can be as cheap as they want as long as you're not having check out of the hotel at noon. I feel terrible for Mike and Nora who's a great coach.

[Evan Valenti]

Yeah it's rough one year deal with it with an option.

[Sean Grandy]

This is pretty wild coaches today coaches union was like this is not a good price.

[Evan Valenti]

Yeah, I. That's not a smart thing. But it's again it seems like more of the. The Yanis curiousness that you have stems from the fact that you don't think from ace salary standpoint, from a keep your book straight standpoint that you can have two guys that play some of the positions that make a gajillion dollars. Like it's just.

[Sean Grandy]

How many teams. Sorry, I have to think about this. Answer this question. How many teams have won the championship the last 15, 20 years with two wings as their best players? Don't worry, I'll wait play your Jeopardy Music or whatever. Yeah, there's 24. Celtics were unicorn and that was. But you know, again the team was put together before you had eventually you were gonna have to max them out. By the way, Atlanta's been really smart about this. Now you're picking off the teams that are running into the second apron that have all these. All this talent and all this depth where you're going to be, hey, I'll take A.J. mitchell, I'll take this. You know, you can't keep these guys and Mitchell Robinson is going to end up somewhere else. So will Andrew Shammit because they just. Teams aren't going to pay to keep these teams together.

[Evan Valenti]

Now is that a. That a good thing or a bad thing?

[Sean Grandy]

I don't. I tend to think it's not a good thing. Everything sort of eventually evens out. I think there's a free market. When is the league. The league is unbelievably strong. TV ratings are great. The TV deals were great. TV ratings were great. People don't aren't getting this. People want to write off over the air television as being it's over and everything's online now. The ratings went up this year in large part because you replaced TNT with NBC. So you had over the air games and a lot more eyeballs on those games. A lot of it was just a change of, you know, change of venue going from basic cable to a big network over the air. But the league is really healthy in a variety of ways. You just. You got to fix things around the edges. They fix the tanking that tanking have Become the biggest problem. So you fix that. I don't know if eight teams winning in eight years is good thing or a bad thing. I do think teams being broken up is a problem. But I grew up again being old. I grew up in the era where your baseball team was your baseball team, your second baseman, you had them for five or six years and now, you know, major league baseball has gone completely out of the way. Your team, you know, turns over dramatically every single season. Do I think that's good? I don't. But I'm not crazy about interleague play being this constant thing. But you have to accept change. I don't know if younger fans think it's cool that a different team wins every year or they're, you know, we were romanticized about the Celtics and lakers in the 80s. It's not the 80s anymore. You don't need that. Oklahoma City played Indiana in the finals and guess what? People watched last year. So I'm not, I don't. I'm not very concerned about the overall health of the NBA and whether, you know, in Boston you're going to have sour grapes about the rules preventing you from being a dynasty because you were in position to be that. Other teams who are a million miles away, this is your first world problems. Should we. We have to trade the 8th best player in the league and we didn't get the fourth best player for him straight up. These are first. So are we a second round playoff team or these are first world problems. There are teams so many light years from the playoffs, light years from the conference finals that I made this point earlier about not getting good draft picks that you have to understand there's a price to pay for being the best team, which the Celtics have been over the last 10 years. They had the best record in the NBA. You have not only won a championship, you've not only been a championship contender most of these years, you have been able to rebuild on the fly. The Boston Celtics nine years ago, gentlemen, won the draft lottery at halftime of a conference finals game that they were playing in. I don't think you. And we've had this conversation about the Knicks finally getting to the conference finals the first time in 25 years. Last year after the Celtics had been there 10 times in that period of time. And I know there were. There was a little Celtics pushback, fan wise. I don't know how much you guys saw or got when the Knicks won that people weren't happy about it. And my general thought about that. I took some grief because everyone knows I'm from New York and there are other ancillary things that people may know about my relationship with the Knicks. But for people, if you are angry and butter because your lead in championships over your little brother slash rival is now 18 to 3 instead of 18 to 2, congratulations. Your life is awesome. If that's something that upsets you.

[Adam Kaufman]

I was an outlier and I think Evan fell into this category too with the amount that we were texting during those games. And was I rooting for San Antonio? Sure. I. I'm not pro New York Knicks. That being said, you remove the laundry and it's just a bunch of, you know, anonymous dudes running around that you

[Sean Grandy]

want to root for.

[Adam Kaufman]

Incredibly likable team. Incredibly likable team.

[Evan Valenti]

All of them.

[Adam Kaufman]

Brunson. I don't know if anyone saw what Hart posted on social media earlier today about Brunson's headline.

[Sean Grandy]

How does he feel about. But how does he feel about Cats?

[Evan Valenti]

Yeah, right.

[Adam Kaufman]

O. OG is like OG might be my favorite player in the league right now. I mean, they're incredibly likable team. And you know, look, some Knicks fans, and I obviously know many. Yeah, I'm happy for some of them. You know, some of the a holes outside the Garden beating the crap out of spurs fans, you know, not as much but you know, there are, look, it's. I don't want to hear all the path talk and, and we did that with the Celtics too when they won. Like are. Are the Knicks if they lose in the second round next year and you know, this is the last title they win for X number of years and it's with a totally different roster. Whenever that time comes again, like yeah, people are going to look at it and say they're an anomaly. They're. They're an outlier champion like the, you know, 03 pistons, whatever year it was that fine, you could do that if you want to do it. And I do think this new age Adam Silver parody lack of dynasty NBA that we're living in right now does support that to a degree. But the title's the title. It happened and they earned it and they beat the teams on their schedule and that's all you need to do.

[Sean Grandy]

And by the way, they were, they finished fifth in the regular season record wise. And obviously what I look at which is the net rating and the scoring differential and people like to put down the regular season and so the regular season doesn't matter. It's only the playoffs. That Knicks team finishing fifth out of 30, that's the lowest Ranked team in the regular season to win the championship in 15 years. That's how important the regular season is and remains in the NBA that it just. It does not happen that teams and they obviously had the. The path that they had. So what? Who cares? People criticize the Celtics, but the Celtics were going to win two years ago. No matter who they play. They play the 85 bears and they were going to win. Like that was. It was their year to win. Just as it was the next year to win. And the Knicks, listen, if they had played the Celtics in the second round, would it have been a more competitive series? Yeah, it would have because Tatum probably would have come back at some point in the series if they had played the Pistons in the conference finals. Would the now Memphis Grizzly headed Beef Stew and Duran put some bruises on those guys to take into the fight? Probably so they might not have been. But the Knicks, you have to be very, very lucky and you have to be very, very good. The Knicks were and they won. It was their year. And as Sam Rosen said when the Rangers won in 94, this one will last a lifetime. And I think it's just something that only Red Sox fans around here can relate to that when you win even now the four championships now people are so disgusted with the Red Sox. It's like that's becomes eventually there will come a time that Nick fans will be upset again and whatever. But for now you can't even begin to imagine that is Disney World is not the happiest place on earth right now. It's. It's New York City.

[Evan Valenti]

Wherever the people of the Tartan army are. I think it's the happiest place in the world.

[Sean Grandy]

That was so cool.

[Adam Kaufman]

That's.

[Evan Valenti]

It's my favorite story of the entire summer is watching the people of Scotland fall in love with the city of Austin. It was my favorite. It was just amazing.

[Sean Grandy]

Didn't they break the St. Patrick's Day drinking record?

[Evan Valenti]

They probably had. I mean I wouldn't be shocked if they didn't break that. Like that was just an impressive display of everything including like love. I just that you could. The videos that were coming out of people from Scotland talking about Boston.

[Sean Grandy]

Well it's something that most of us who become, you know, you're in this talking head world that we have to immerse ourselves in social media. It's one minor thing that we all grew up and it's why we fell in love with sports that we tend to lose if we get too involved in the. All this insanity joy Being joyful, watching sports. And again, whatever you want to say about the knicks and the 20 people that got arrested and some horrendous things happen as they happen in all cities. The greatest city in the world is Vancouver, British Columbia, if you've ever been there. And they had. There's a 30 for 30 about the riot they had after they lost Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final.

[Evan Valenti]

I remember that right.

[Sean Grandy]

They're crazy people everywhere. They're going to do destructive things. I'm saying, you lose the joy. And my feeling, my best example of that may have said it on the show last year, being at Madison Square Garden last year, where the Knicks won game six to go to the conference finals. The first 25 years, talked to a lot of guys, a lot of people on the court, longtime Knicks people, including Jaylen Brown's good buddy, before the game, about being a Knicks fan and just enjoying the moment. And I think for Celtic fans, the only comparison they came up with was that that third line forward on the Soviet team in 1980, after the game is over and you see there's a shot of one Soviet, the Soviets are all hanging, their heads are down wherever there was one player with a stick under his chin and. And he's just watching the US Players lose their minds. And it was almost as if the Soviets won. So always that they forgot that the joy that comes with winning, they had forgotten it. And I think Celtic fans, to some degree, of course, you're going to get spoiled when you go to 10 conference finals in 25 years and you've got the best record in the league and the Red Sox win four World Series and the Patriots win six Super Bowls and you get your Stanley Cup. You do lose the joy that comes with the simple things. I thought, unfortunately for the way it ended, I thought the 83 games that came before it this year were a reminder of what it's like to be joyful, you know, because we probably discussed it. I hated when fans were jumping on this idea that, oh, the Celtics are the favorites now in the Eastern Conference. And I just keep saying over and over, don't worry, all the expectations and the weight of it are coming back next year. Try to enjoy this year for what it is, which is this ridiculous fever dream making people like me look stupid for saying they were going to win 43 games and get knocked out in the first round because they made a lot of people look stupid, and I'm one of them by winning all the games they won this year was an amazing thing to say.

[Adam Kaufman]

Amazing John, let me wrap it with this. The overwhelming question that everyone is going to have now is obviously the future surrounding Jaylen Brown. And we're sitting here late June, free agency is right around the corner. Obviously the Celtics, they will have options mid level. They got the big trade player exception, almost $30 million. They can make some moves to improve this roster, whether that involves dealing Jalen Brown or not dealing Jalen Brown. And Brad has been forthcoming again and talking about, hey, we got to improve on the inside, rebounding, rim protection, the point guard depth, all of these things. Again, fairly straight shooter. We know what they need to do in terms of improving on the margins if that's the approach they take and continue to build around the Jays and not specifically jt what timeline in your mind are we operating with to where you say, okay, Jalen Brown's a Celtic. They're not moving him versus the day by day. Everyone waiting for the Shams tweet, wondering if and when the move is coming.

[Sean Grandy]

I think it probably comes when we least expect it. I remember when the Celtics traded for Kyrie Irving. That happened at a time back in. It was late August, right? It was like when that happened. If you could pick one day in the NBA calendar where if you're me or someone who's in the league, you feel safe going out of cell range onto a mountain or something and nothing's going to happen on this day. It was that day. It was like August 21, August 22 and suddenly it happened. So I don't think, sadly there is a day. I think people's attention spans will go away once we get into summer league and maybe that's bad. You know, Brad Stevens, needless to say, would prefer to operate in quiet, in silence and, you know, let it go on. I don't think there is a. I don't think there is a date. I don't think that exists. I think the one to watch, obviously we have a little marker when Jalen becomes extension eligible, which is a. I think for nothing else, that's going to be a day that'll bring the story back, hey, Jaylen Brown's extension eligible today. Let's check back in, see and see where it is. But there's the draft is over. There's a lot of comp. We get into the new after July 8th and the trade or 6th or whatever it is and the new trades are announced, we're into the new year, the new league year in terms of finances. And you turn that page and people know what they have, then it's sort of that, that's really where the season begins. Remember, this thing only happened because Milwaukee had that self imposed deadline. Right. We got to do this by draft night. Right. Which in retrospect, did they rush it and, and force it? I don't know if they got the best deal. Who knows? You know, Giannis had his thumb on the scale. That's why they didn't get the best haul they could because Giannis said, I'll play here and here and I'll do the extension here and that's it. And that's why they had the small. So I don't know. But we know that we can focus on Giannis and focus on the Jalen trade, but there are opportunities to add other players. The Celtics have to get more athletic and they need a little more offense in the backcourt. I think we know that. I think we know some of the names, one of whom was on the roster last year and there are. The Celtics should be in the conversation for, for some of these players.

[Adam Kaufman]

That thing, by the way on the, the extension, just to remind people, because you know, every guest has talked about it. Cedric Maxwell, your broadcast partner was on with us, talked about it. Everyone is harping about this extension. When Jalen becomes extension eligible. I, I just feel like people need the reminder that Boston has no good reason whatsoever to give him that deal now. None. There is no incentive whatsoever to give Brown that. Even if you were like, even if it were Tatum and you're like, well, this guy's going to be a Celtic forever. You don't need to do it now for any reason. So, and, and Jalen is smart enough to know that too. So that does not have to be this barometer as to like what he's extension eligible and they're not giving him the 2 years 140 when he's already got X number of years left on his deal.

[Evan Valenti]

Deal.

[Adam Kaufman]

No, they're not. Why would you. Right.

[Sean Grandy]

And that's, that's a logical, that's the logical thing and it's my thought as well. I bring it up as a date that people may start to re. It'll. They'll be, hey, somebody's will put it in their alarm, right? And they'll wake up in the morning, I'll be like, oh, Jay, Jalen's extension eligible today. Let's stir up the whole Jalen Brown story again because we haven't talked about it for a week or two. So I think we have to become comfortable in the discomfort of is Jalen Brown going to be A Celtic or not. And maybe the only comfort, as I try to be the voice of comfort here, is that maybe whatever happens is not going to be a bad scenario, that Brad's going to do what is best for the Celtics. And as someone who rejects the notion that Jalen can't come back, and I think it's absurd, the worst case scenario here is that Jalen Brown, one of the best players in the NBA, on a Hall of Fame trajectory and an NBA Finals MVP and all the above, comes back and is a Boston Celtic. That's the worst thing that can come out of this. So, you know, there are other players to swing and miss it for in the summer outside of a potential Jalen Brown trade as. As opportunities to improve the roster. So it is not. I think people just looked at it as somehow the Celtics just lost to Pat Riley. Like, okay, as you just said, we won't know for years if they did or they didn't. But people weren't even engaged or interested in Giannis just didn't like the idea they lost to Pat Riley. And I'm talking about people over a certain age because people under a certain age think, my son cares about Pat Riley. You know, he's been a high schooler for a day and a half now. Like, he doesn't care about losing out something to Pat.

[Adam Kaufman]

Rod.

[Sean Grandy]

Even the. You know, there's a rivalry with a Heat. Who cares?

[Adam Kaufman]

Have any parting thoughts?

[Evan Valenti]

Just gonna be a long summer, buddy. That's all. And it's just gonna be another long one that, you know, we're gonna have to just get ready for. I mean, thank God the Red Sox are good to take our mind off it. You know, it's really, really awesome.

[Sean Grandy]

Just, I literally. So last week I was at Eddie Andelman's funeral, and I remember him, he used to say, when the Red Sox were bad, like, we should all just. Everybody should just gather in government center and cut off a finger because it was like, it was just typical. Any line. It's even now makes you laugh. But that's what this feel I' I've become. So, as my wife will tell you, just to her disdain, I've become so invested in the Red Sox. I just. My baseball brain will not accept a team this talented losing as many games. I cannot, I. I cannot put my head around a starting rotation this good losing as many games as they've lost. And clearly there's, you know, there's an issue there. But I've become a. I've become one of these people. Well, ever you good with the. I know this is not a great thing if you're on Spotify, but if you're on YouTube, are you good with the graphic tee tonight? Do I get the.

[Evan Valenti]

I mean, the Rick Astley? Yeah, anything. Anything Rick Astley is gonna be.

[Adam Kaufman]

People see things that Rick Astley will never.

[Evan Valenti]

I think if you know anything about the man, you could probably pull this T shirt. Oh, yeah. You're never gonna like it.

[Adam Kaufman]

We're guessing here.

[Sean Grandy]

Yeah. And you can probably, if you're on Spotify, you can probably find. You can probably click on Rick Astley and play the song.

[Adam Kaufman]

It's a wonderful shirt. All right, well, for Evan Valenti, I'm Adam Kaufman. Of course, for Sean Grandy, the longtime voice of the Celtics, as we always.

[Sean Grandy]

By the way, do you call Max a long time analyst? So you get on him because he's been doing this longer than I do that. No, come on, Max. The first year of TD Garden, Max was the analyst.

[Adam Kaufman]

Yeah. I mean, you know, he's done a set number of years.

[Sean Grandy]

This is beautiful.

[Adam Kaufman]

I don't know what the difference is. I mean, he's got, he's got the Finals mvp. You know, it's, that's, that's always the thing with him. It's with you, it's the longtime voice of the Celtics. With him it's Finals MVP and analyst said. You know, it's like the, the, the post basketball career, which of course has been wildly successful for him. That's kind of the afterthought still. Whenever in the billing.

[Sean Grandy]

40th anniversary coming up of Final Four for Max. Wow, I'm sorry, 50th anniversary. Pardon me. 50th anniversary coming up of the loss to Marquette in the Final Four. And he's. This is 30, so he's done 31 years with the cells, 25 with me, 6 before that with, with Spencer Ross. And by the way, Finals mvp. That's a really short Celtic list that Jalen Brown is on because remember, they didn't have it.

[Adam Kaufman]

Yeah.

[Sean Grandy]

60s when the Celtics were winning. And the first year of the NBA Finals mvp, the Celtics beat the Lakers. Jerry west got the mvp and no losing player has ever gotten it since. So you really only have that list of John Havlicek and Jojo White and Max and Larry twice and Paul Pierce and Jalen.

[Evan Valenti]

That's it.

[Adam Kaufman]

You know, we asked Max a few weeks ago at the end of that show about having both of you on together on one of these podcasts.

[Sean Grandy]

And I heard, I heard that he

[Adam Kaufman]

basically said he already talks to you enough.

[Evan Valenti]

He.

[Adam Kaufman]

He kind of slightly declined.

[Sean Grandy]

We've been on the air for 25 years together. There's really nothing left to.

[Evan Valenti]

I know.

[Sean Grandy]

I said that's. That's not in your budget to. To have us on together. That's. You got to start, Pony.

[Adam Kaufman]

That's true. It's a good point. I'm gonna check the couch cushions, see if I can find some coins.

[Evan Valenti]

All right.

[Sean Grandy]

Prize Picks.

[Adam Kaufman]

That's right. Yeah. Win on Prize Picks. Audio, of course. Download the podcast, rate, review all that good stuff. And for your video, the CLNS YouTube page, be it, the main page, the all access page. You'll find shows like this and so many others across the network. We thank you for hanging out here with us. Next time around, it will be July, which means Jalen Brown may or may not still be a Celtic, but summer league will be right around the corner. So a preview of that coming up in due time, including with a couple of rookies who we talked nothing about, so saving that for next time as well. We'll see you then.