The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga might last all summer after the Milwaukee Bucks reportedly started listening to offers for the 31-year-old former two-time MVP. Antetokounmpo has spent 13 years with the Bucks but has been embroiled in trade rumors for the last year as the Bucks have faded from contention and have no path back toward it in the Giannis era with depleted assets.
Antetokounmpo is expected to draw widespread interest on the trade market, with the Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves emerging as potential early leaders in the trade race. However, teams like the Boston Celtics were also rumored as a potential Antetokounmpo destination for the last year, with their first-round exit with a blown 3-1 series lead likely leading to changes on the roster.
Despite multiple reports of a Jaylen Brown for Antetokounmpo trade framework, nothing concrete has ever happened in those trade talks. The Celtics could become a contender in these talks once again after Bill Simmons revealed on his latest podcast that he thinks Antetokounmpo wants to join the Celtics so that he can remain a contender in the East.
“I think Giannis wants to go to Boston, and I’m not sure Boston wants Giannis. I think that’s the push and pull right now.”
“I just think he does. I think he wants to stay in the East. I think a certain guy on the Celtics has the same shooting coach as him. I think there’s a lot of respect for the organization. I just think that would be a team he would be interested in. I also think Miami is another team he would want to go to.”
Simmons also mentioned the Heat as a destination that Antetokounmpo would be interested in, but that’s been known for a while. Antetokounmpo has openly praised the city in the past, and the franchise has a potentially strong trade offer for the Bucks if they want to make this trade happen.
Antetokounmpo has previously openly praised Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, but hasn’t made any outward gesture indicating he wants to join the franchise. He averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists last season with the Bucks, proving he’s still an All-NBA caliber player when he’s on the court. He would be a phenomenal two-way addition on the Celtics, as Boston has the exact shooting framework a team would need to maximize Antetokounmpo’s strength going downhill.
With Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury, adding a player like Antetokounmpo would greatly lighten his workload while allowing him to be more effective without carrying as much on-ball responsibility. While there could be a clash in play-styles, Antetokounmpo might be the perfect long-term center solution for the Celtics if Tatum continues to be their power forward.
There are two potential trade frameworks for Antetokounmpo: one that includes Jaylen Brown and one that doesn’t. Brown’s $57.07 million contract would make it easy for the Celtics to match Antetokounmpo’s $58.45 million for the 2026-27 season, with the Celtics likely loading it up with three to four first-round picks to beat the kind of other offers Milwaukee likely will receive. This allows the Celtics to maintain their competitive roster with 3-and-D players to stay competitive after Giannis joins.
A non-Brown package would send Derrick White and Sam Hauser, with at least three other rotational players to Milwaukee just to match Antetokounmpo’s salary. While the big three might work given the caliber of these talents, it’s hard to see how the Celtics can build a competitive roster while having three of the ten highest-paid NBA players on the same roster.
