It’s a big offseason for the Boston Celtics, but then, in today’s NBA with a humming trade market, a bustling draft and new collective-bargaining rules dictating that ever dollar much your teams spends be closely monitored, every offseason is big. Still, it is especially big for the Celtics amid rumors that the team is considering trading away superstar Jaylen Brown, with the possibility of acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo in return.
The Celtics are better positioned than anyone to send Milwaukee a package for their disgruntled star that would keep the Bucks afloat as a potential playoff team. Brown just led the Celtics, after all, to a 52-win season with Jayson Tatum sidelined by a torn Achilles tendon, and there could be enough left over on the Bucks roster to keep that team in the 45-win range and a playoff spot in 2026-27, if Brown arrives healthy and motivated.
But if the Celtics add Antetokounmpo, one of the big questions that would linger is whether that’s enough to get Boston over the hump in the East and truly return it to championship contention. Maybe not. But how about adding LeBron James to the mix as well?
‘Put LeBron James on the Celtics’
That was an idea floated by longtime basketball insider Jeff Goodman in an appearance on the CLNS podcast, “The Bob Ryan & Jeff Goodman Podcast featuring Gary Tanguay,” The notion was bringing longtime Celtics nemesis LeBron James to the Celtics to have him serve as a third-wheel go-between for Tatum and Brown. But, then, if the Celtics shipped out Brown for Antetokounmpo, why not then bring in James anyway?
Said Goodman: “Put LeBron on the Celtics. Put LeBron on the Celtics and don’t you think, he would be the connector, that Tatum and Jaylen Brown need to both kind of play better together. If he wants to win another title. … But what about this? You get Giannis for Jaylen Brown, then you go and get LeBron.”
Celtics Probably Can’t Afford LeBron James
Now, that would make the Celtics a fascinating bunch in 2026-27. The big problem with that, from people who have known James for his whole career, is that he not a guy who is going to sign on as a veteran minimum player, nor will he sign for the bi-annual exception. He will want to be paid what he is worth or he is likely to retire.
The Celtics can’t really afford to do that, not without giving up, say, Derrick White. And though White had his shooting struggles this season, using him as a sign-and-trade piece for a 41-year-old who might play only one season isn’t sensible.
‘He Would Be Adored’
Some might say that Celtics faithful would revolt if James came to Boston. Goodman doesn’t think so, and he’s probably right–James, for whatever Celtics fans would say of him, has been nothing but a good citizen during his 23 years in the NBA, and Bostonians have been known to welcome in former pariahs in the past.
Said Goodman: “LeBron with this much attention on him everywhere he has been and everywhere he goes and to have the one thing, the one thing was The Decision (in 2010), and that was not really driven by him, that was driven by his people. What has LeBron ever done since?
He added: “He’d be adored. They would love him right away. A chance to see LeBron? And again the beauty for LeBron is like, as a third guy—tell him to average, like, 14 points a game, put the ball in his hands and just say, ‘Hey, basically, be our point guard.’ If you told LeBron, ‘Hey, go average 10 assists game,’ do you know how easy he could do that? Do you know how easy he could average 14 and 10.”
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