The Celtics, Brad Stevens in particular, have their work cut out to repair relationship with Jaylen Brown

Who would have thought the trade demand of Giannis Antetokounmpo would cause major issues in Boston? But this is where we are, after the Bucks took the Heat’s offer of multiple players and draft picks instead of the Celtics’ package of All-Star Jaylen Brown and two first-round picks.

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A night after the deal was agreed upon, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens had to address the media following the first round of the NBA Draft and mostly play damage control about the future of Brown, who has spent all 10 of his seasons in Boston.

Stevens offered his second-best player for an aging generational talent and fell short, and now that player is still a Celtic knowing he’s been offered for trade. And now more speculation has surfaced that the Celtics are in trade talks with multiple teams regarding Brown.

This could have been handled better by Stevens, who always seems to have a Plan B, but this time didn’t seem to have an alternative strategy in case the Bucks opted for the Heat’s offer. And now the future of Brown has become the league’s biggest issue for a franchise that likes to keep its affairs private.

The question is whether the Celtics have to trade Brown because of the awkward situation they caused or is retaining him, pairing him with a healthy Jayson Tatum, and pushing for another title the way to go while perhaps offering a contract extension as appeasement. Brown hasn’t spoken publicly, but he remains open to staying with the Celtics for now.

If it becomes apparent the Celtics are shopping him, the veteran has to become resigned to the fact that the team that drafted him is ready to move on. Brown has had an interesting and controversial offseason after the Celtics were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs by the 76ers. A day after the Game 7 loss, he went on social media to complain about officiating and the flopping of Joel Embiid, and then reiterated a statement he made throughout the season, that this was the most enjoyable year of his career.

While he tried to explain that statement later, the perception that Brown relished being the No. 1 option with Tatum rehabilitating a torn Achilles turned into an indication he was looking for his own team. Stevens wouldn’t say if Brown had issues but added that he is well aware of the happenings in his organization.

“I’d say I try to be as observant as possible,” Stevens said. “Hear a lot from being around a lot, and kind of think I’ve got a decent pulse on our building, and then I just want to listen, and I just want to be a good teammate, you know, and try to help and that’s my role in that moment. … We have a lot of people in here, whether they’ve been here for one year or in Jaylen’s case 10 or [vice president of basketball operations] Mike Zarren’s case 20, right, where there’s a lot of time spent together and a lot of relationship there, and so hopefully you can have candid conversations.”

Regardless of what happens with Brown, the Celtics’ reputation has been damaged with how the front office has handled this situation.

Nine years ago, Danny Ainge traded an injured Isaiah Thomas for Kyrie Irving after Thomas sacrificed his body and played through the death of his sister for the Celtics. That was not viewed kindly by players around the league who believed Thomas was cast aside after he no longer served the Celtics’ purpose.

This is a different situation. Brown realizes the NBA is a business and the Celtics a few years ago made him the highest-paid player in the league, but it was a mistake to offer him for Antetokounmpo if the offer had limits. It’s uncomfortable at best for the Celtics to talk deals with the player who was the best on the floor during their 2024 Finals run and who is still in his prime.

It’s going to be difficult for Stevens to rationalize this one.

The deepest NBA draft in recent memory is over and several teams upgraded their rosters with prospects. Others used the second round to take players who can contribute.

Here are some team grades:

▪ Celtics: Chris Cenac Jr. (Houston), Dillon Mitchell (St. John’s)

Boston went for the long-term future, taking the one-and-done Cenac, a premium prep prospect out of New Orleans before a solid but not spectacular season for the Cougars. Mitchell is experienced (he’s older than Jordan Walsh) and is a freakish athlete and plus defender. It’s obvious the Celtics are not banking on this duo to contribute next season. But both could be contributors in coming years. The development of Cenac will be fascinating because he has potential All-Star talent and likely would have benefited from another year in school, but has the work ethic to improve quickly. Grade: B.

▪ Bucks: Brayden Burries (Arizona), Nate Ament (Tennessee).

The Bucks began rebuilding in earnest on the first night of the draft when they nabbed two quality players in the first 13 picks. Burries had an impressive freshman season with the Wildcats as a ballhandler and playmaker. He will get minutes at point guard behind Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. Ament may have benefited from another year in school but he’s a productive big man who should play right away. He was the first draft result of the Antetokounmpo trade as the Bucks restock their roster with young talent and begin a new era. Grade: B+.

▪ Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer (Duke), Richie Saunders (BYU)

Memphis needed some quality players and adults in the room, so its selection of Boozer was a good move. Although he played just one year in college, he carries a maturity beyond his years and could start right away at power forward. The Grizzlies are in a transition period and could be active in the trade market when they determine the future of Ja Morant. Saunders would have been a first-round pick had he not torn his ACL last season, but he should blend into the core once he’s healthy as Memphis works to overhaul its roster and return to respectability. Grade: A-.

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▪ Mavericks: Morez Johnson Jr. (Michigan), Tobi Lawai (Virginia Tech)

With new president Masai Ujiri, the Mavericks are doing the best they can to move on from the Luka Doncic trade and the Nico Harrison tenure with a series of impressive roster moves. The drafting of Cooper Flagg last year rebooted the franchise and the hiring of Michigan coach Dusty May and drafting of Johnson, a Wolverine, and the wildly athletic Lawai continues a positive trend. Johnson may have been taken a little high at No. 9, but he gives Dallas depth in the frontcourt and another athlete. Grade: B.

▪ Nets: Mikel Brown (Louisville), Tyler Bilodeau (UCLA)

Our mock draft had the Nets taking a big man because they have so many guards, including two taken in the first 19 picks last year. But the Nets opted for Brown, a gifted player who had injury issues last season. While Brown could help thebackcourt, he’s going to have to compete for minutes with Egor Demin and Nolan Traore. Brown may not have been the best point guard on the board with the sixth pick. Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. was sitting there when the Nets drafted and was passed up. He was the SEC Player of the Year and considered the best player after the big four — Brockton native AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Boozer, and Caleb Wilson. Bilodeau is a smooth-shooting forward who has a chance to make the roster. Grade: C+.

▪ Hornets: Hannes Steinbach (Washington), Christian Anderson (Texas Tech).

Charlotte made headlines by trading LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves for Naz Reid and picks. The Hornets added to their frontcourt with the addition of Steinbach, who played under the radar in college but is a gifted big who was tutored by the great Dirk Nowitzki. Another quality pickup was Anderson, who could help stabilize the backcourt with his scoring ability. The Hornets have risen in the Eastern Conference because of fruitful drafts and this one is no different. Charlotte is a team to watch. Grade: A.

The Wizards selected Dybantsa with the first overall pick over Peterson, who may have been good enough to garner the top pick in any other draft. The potential of Dybantsa was too good to pass up.

Peterson played just 24 games during his freshman season, averaging 20.2 points but also dealing with cramping issues that impacted his reputation. He spent the pre-draft process convincing teams he was healthy and capable of playing a full 82-game season, and wanted to be picked first. He may very well be the best player from this draft, but for now he’ll have to settle for the Jazz taking him at No. 2.

“I can’t go back and change anything now,” he said. “Obviously I wanted to be the No. 1 pick, but I went No. 2. So now I’m prepared to go to Utah and get to work. There’s always been a chip on my shoulder, so I wouldn’t say it added anything else. But now it will always be in my mind for my whole career. Goals? Play all 82 games. Coming off the year I had at Kansas, I didn’t get to play all the games I wanted to. My first goal is to play all 82. Make the playoffs. Try to get a ring. I saw some rookies get deep in the playoffs, and they kind of inspired me to get there. They came up short, but I want to go all the way and get a ring.”

There is still a mystery to Peterson. As much as he showed flashes of brilliance, he kept to himself at Kansas, didn’t show a lot of his personality, and entered the draft process as an enigma. Utah is concluding its complete rebuilding process and Peterson may be the final piece. Peterson spoke with the Jazz during the process but didn’t conduct a workout. The Jazz were satisfied with what Peterson did on the floor to pair him with point guard Keyonte George.

“People are going to have opinions on me and stuff because of what I went through and all that,” Peterson said. “You know, I think I’m a pretty cool guy. A big brother to my siblings and son to my parents, a good friend, someone people can count on. But now I’m an NBA player, so a whole new shift in my life and lifestyle. But basketball has always been the main thing for me. I keep it the main thing. Worked my butt off my entire life and I’ll continue to do that. It’s part of my dream, but I have a lot more that I’m chasing, and I’ll continue to do that.”

For those who question Peterson’s desire or passion, he promised to quiet the concerns now that he has reached the NBA. He’ll get an opportunity to play in a smaller market with little publicity and push Dybantsa, Boozer, Wilson, and others for the Rookie of the Year.

“I’m coming for these guys like I’ve been coming for them my whole career,” Peterson said. “So I’m going to continue to do that. And now I’m going into a room with better players, and I’m coming for these guys, too. I’m going to work my butt off.”

Peterson said the draft process was rigorous. Teams wanted to test his endurance and stamina. They wanted to see if he was NBA ready.

“The workouts. I was getting pushed to extreme limits. Obviously after the year I had at Kansas, I had to push myself to another level,” he said. “The workouts were super intense. I had a strict schedule. I also got a puppy during the process. So I had a lot of stuff going on, trying to work out, trying to train him, trying to spend time with him. Yeah, probably the workouts was the hardest part, for sure, but I embraced it. And I love ball, so I’m going to do whatever I’ve got to do to be the best me.”

The positive vibes emanating from the Trail Blazers hiring of Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori were soon extinguished when it was revealed Nori, a first-time head coach, was given a one-year guaranteed deal with options for more years. The deal is unprecedented, as even first-time coaches sign two- or three-year deals to begin their careers. It’s another cost-cutting move by new Portland owner Tom Dundon, who has not made any friends in Oregon by slicing the team’s staff, refusing to send two-way players on the road for the postseason, and squeezing former coach Tiago Splitter in negotiations despite him stepping in to lead Portland to its first playoff appearance in five years. Splitter eventually took the Bulls job. Nori has been a top candidate for a few years and the Trail Blazers have a good chance to build on their solid season, but he literally will be coaching for his job … Former Celtic Xavier Tillman, traded to the Hornets in February to clear salary cap space, has signed with Turkish club Trabzonspor in an attempt to revive his career. Tillman was acquired by the Celtics from the Grizzlies for center depth but never could consistently break into the rotation. He was a favorite in the locker room but couldn’t get onto the floor as his time in Boston progressed … While the Mavericks decided on May as their lead man, Celtics assistant Tony Dobbins was a candidate for the position and is making good impressions around the league in hopes of landing a head coaching position. Fellow Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook was a candidate for the Trail Blazers job and also made positive impressions during his interviews … The Lakers solidified their core by signing scoring guard Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million contract extension to secure his place next to Doncic. It’s the biggest contract ever signed by an undrafted player as the Lakers cashed in on their discovery … The Timberwolves made a salary-cutting deal before the draft, sending forward Julius Randle to the Nets in a three-team trade that brings center Nic Claxton to the Bulls. Minnesota was looking for money to re-sign guard Ayo Dosunmu, a valuable pickup from the Bulls.

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