On a now-deleted Twitch stream, Jaylen Brown already mapped out his luxurious NBA exit. It requires him to take a crash course in Mandarin, but why not? Rather than addressing the trade noise directly, the Boston Celtics star turned it into a comical bit. In reality, Brown’s name has become the hottest topic in a potential blockbuster swap for Cream City’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, making even a casual stream carry real weight.

“How many points will I average with the Shanghai Sharks?” asked Brown, looking straight at the camera. “Listen, y’all, cut the check, Shanghai, I’m out of here. You write a check for $400 million. Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Wing Chun. I’ll play for all the teams at the same time. I’ll be the first player to play for every team… Be seen on Twitter. Get ready to learn Mandarin, buddy. We’re out here learning Mandarin for real. Beautiful language.”

The sprawling, absurd joke reads less like frustration and more like deflection. Brown has since clarified in separate streams that he has no real desire to leave Boston. But the trade machinery around him doesn’t require his blessing. That’s because the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, may look to capitalize on Brown’s value while at its peak.

The Giannis speculation has gained momentum as uncertainty around the Greek Freak’s future in Milwaukee deepened. And with the Bucks appearing to pivot toward a rebuild, Antetokounmpo’s name entered conversations with contenders, and Boston moved quickly to the front, surpassing the Miami Heat.

The most prominent scenario league sources have repeatedly floated involves swapping Brown for the former MVP. Initial reports suggested Milwaukee might flip Brown for assets, but recent updates indicate the Bucks would look to keep and build around him.

Most importantly, though, insiders report that Brown has no realistic desire to play in Milwaukee…

“The Celtics would love to sneak in and get [Giannis],” said ESPN’s Marc Spears on SportsCenter. “That might mean moving Jaylen Brown somewhere else. I know Jaylen wouldn’t want to play for Milwaukee. This ‘will they, won’t they’ story between Giannis and the Bucks has been going on for quite some time now. We’ll see if we finally get a resolution.”

While the Heat have also been a favorite for the Greek Freak trade, they’re yet to reach the desired framework both sides agree to. But Boston is not far behind. If the Celtics really want to bring in the two-time MVP, then getting Brown off the books becomes the easier alternative. Stevens is a cool customer in the trade markets and prefers to do his business out of the limelight. We’ve seen it before with Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White.

Holiday even praised Stevens for his mature approach towards hard conversations ahead of his departure. But this successful method hinges heavily on market silence (which isn’t there in Giannis’ case) and player willingness (that isn’t going to be easy to overturn in Boston). It’s simple: if Brown is not interested, then that creates a major problem, which is also why three-team and four-team trade ideas have become so important.

Which other teams are interested in pursuing Jaylen Brown?

Sam Amick of The Athletic mentioned that “League sources say the Portland Trail Blazers would have a serious interest in Brown if the Celtics made him available.”

So, the Blazers could very well be the third team facilitating the trade and providing the Bucks with assets, while Giannis lands in Boston and JB reunites with Jrue Holiday. But even a Western Conference team is on the watchlist.

HoopsHype senior contributor Michael Scotto said, “The Clippers are also said to be interested in Brown and have future first-round draft picks available to dangle, including the fifth pick in the draft as a potential trade chip, along with a 2029 unprotected first-round draft pick from the Indiana Pacers from the Ivica Zubac trade, should they decide to pursue the Celtics star.”

A Jaylen Brown-Kawhi Leonard duo on the wing alongside Darius Garland makes them a formidable group. Pulling it off, though, would require the Clippers to give up a lot of their draft capital and their depth, including Bennedict Mathurin and John Collins.

On an individual level, Brown delivered a standout campaign, earning a spot on the All-NBA Second Team and finishing sixth in MVP voting.

He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and one steal per game, shooting 47.7% from the field, including 34.7% from beyond the arc, numbers that make him one of the elite options at his position. That’s why, despite the first-round exit to the 76ers, the interest in the Celtics star remains high.

On the flip side, the Celtics are not in any serious position to push for a move despite a surprisingly early playoff exit. They were never really supposed to make it in the first place…