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Almost 20 years ago, former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce benefitted from a pair of huge offseason trades. Landing stars Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in the summer of 2007 transformed the Celtics and helped Pierce earn his first (and only) NBA championship in 2008. Flash forward to 2026 and the C's have a shot at another franchise-altering trade, but this time Pierce isn't onboard.
For the past several weeks, rumors have been swirling about the Celtics dealing 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown in return for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. And while this potential deal has its supporters, Pierce spoke out against it and pleaded for Boston to keep Brown and fellow Celtics star Jayson Tatum together.
"You keep Jaylen, you keep Jayson and you build on that," Pierce said on the No Fouls Given Show hosted by three-time NBA champion Danny Green. "Don’t take that for granted. That’s a winning combination. I don’t care what people say."
With Tatum and Brown as teammates, the Celtics have made five Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals in the last decade. The dynamic duo even got the Green Team over the hump in 2024 for Boston's first NBA title since the aforementioned "Big Three" days of Pierce, Allen, and Garnett.
"You don't bring another franchise player in and think it's going to work," Pierce continued. "(Tatum and Brown) works. We know, this works."
After prevailing in 2024, the Celtics were bounced from the 2025 NBA Playoffs in the second round. They then blew their first 3-1 lead in franchise history in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. These shortcomings have generated some urgency from Boston and its championship-hungry fans and there's a chance that all of the recent trade rumors have irked Brown.
As a result, Pierce clarified that the C's should only move Brown if he's no longer content donning the green and white.
"If it's me, I wouldn't touch it," Pierce said. "But if there's some unhappiness from Jaylen, which, I don't know. And he wants to explore other avenues to see what's out there, then I think you have to if he's unhappy. But if not, I don't do anything."
It's worth noting that Pierce is close with both Brown and Tatum, so it makes sense that he's not begging for an Antetokounmpo deal. Regardless of his opinion, the Celtics have yet to pull the trigger on a trade as the 2026 NBA Draft approaches on Tuesday, June 23, and wraps up on Wednesday, June 24.
Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on:
Blue Wire: https://tiny.ee/CdKp
iTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47
YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics legend Paul Pierce not onboard with trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Continue reading...
For the past several weeks, rumors have been swirling about the Celtics dealing 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown in return for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. And while this potential deal has its supporters, Pierce spoke out against it and pleaded for Boston to keep Brown and fellow Celtics star Jayson Tatum together.
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"You keep Jaylen, you keep Jayson and you build on that," Pierce said on the No Fouls Given Show hosted by three-time NBA champion Danny Green. "Don’t take that for granted. That’s a winning combination. I don’t care what people say."
With Tatum and Brown as teammates, the Celtics have made five Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals in the last decade. The dynamic duo even got the Green Team over the hump in 2024 for Boston's first NBA title since the aforementioned "Big Three" days of Pierce, Allen, and Garnett.
"You don't bring another franchise player in and think it's going to work," Pierce continued. "(Tatum and Brown) works. We know, this works."
After prevailing in 2024, the Celtics were bounced from the 2025 NBA Playoffs in the second round. They then blew their first 3-1 lead in franchise history in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. These shortcomings have generated some urgency from Boston and its championship-hungry fans and there's a chance that all of the recent trade rumors have irked Brown.
As a result, Pierce clarified that the C's should only move Brown if he's no longer content donning the green and white.
"If it's me, I wouldn't touch it," Pierce said. "But if there's some unhappiness from Jaylen, which, I don't know. And he wants to explore other avenues to see what's out there, then I think you have to if he's unhappy. But if not, I don't do anything."
It's worth noting that Pierce is close with both Brown and Tatum, so it makes sense that he's not begging for an Antetokounmpo deal. Regardless of his opinion, the Celtics have yet to pull the trigger on a trade as the 2026 NBA Draft approaches on Tuesday, June 23, and wraps up on Wednesday, June 24.
Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on:
Blue Wire: https://tiny.ee/CdKp
iTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47
YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics legend Paul Pierce not onboard with trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Continue reading...
