The Bucks trade saga with Giannis Antetokounmpo got another posthumous wrinkle in the last week when former Celtic Brian Scalabrine alleged that Jaylen Brown demanded a trade from Boston in the offseason and preferred to end up in Milwaukee. The credibility of the report has been debated, but it shouldn't matter either way because the Bucks chose a better trade package from the Heat anyways.
Brown's trade value was shockingly low and he would've been in an awkward spot with the Bucks, since he's not probably not good enough to carry a team into contender status. Instead, the Bucks got a slew of young players from the Heat that could wind up having some solid trade value in the aggregate.
Trading for Jaylen Brown wouldn't have made sense
When the Bucks traded away Giannis, they committed to a rebuild. Now, their biggest focus is developing young talent, even at the cost of playing veterans more minutes. If Milwaukee had somehow ended up with Brown instead, he would force the team into a middling tier without as much promising young talent.
There would be no reason for the Bucks to choose a trade package that would leave them as possible playoff qualifiers with no championship hopes. Brown might have played at an All-NBA Second Team level last season, but he was boosted by a solid supporting cast on the Celtics. He would likely look much worse on the Bucks, who couldn't give him the same luxuries.
On top of the weird on-court fit, Brown's contract would have also been a nightmare for the Bucks. Even Tyler Herro, who makes far less than Brown, is putting Milwaukee in a tough financial spot this season. But Brown's deal is on a whole other level, since he will be the 7th-highest paid player in the league this season with a $57 million salary.
Brown could have set the Bucks back further
With that kind of money on the books through 2029, the Bucks would have had few options for acquiring and developing notable young talent. There's probably not any teams interested in forking over their best prospects for Brown. And of course the Bucks could run up against one of the aprons and be more limited in trade or free agency options thanks to Brown's contract as well.
The Bucks will probably be worse off this season for passing on Brown. He could have helped them be competitive for a playoff spot, and now they will be bottom-feeders instead. But the long-term payoff is much better with the Heat trade package, since the players coming back have tradable salaries and there are young prospects and draft picks attached too.
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