The Giannis Antetokounmpo Sweepstakes: Why the Celtics Just Pulled Ahead of the Heat
The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade race is officially down to two teams. The Boston Celtics just pulled ahead of the Miami Heat, and it is not particularly close anymore.
According to a report from NBC Sports’ Tom Haberstroh, the Celtics are now considered the betting favorite to land the Bucks superstar. League sources tell Haberstroh that Boston has put together a package that includes Jaylen Brown, draft picks, and one of either Sam Hauser or Payton Pritchard. The Bucks are listening.
This is wild. Bill Simmons declared on his podcast Monday that he is now “100 percent convinced” Boston will land Giannis. That is a strong take. It also feels increasingly accurate.
Let me explain how we got here. The Celtics had a brutal title defense that ended in a second-round playoff exit. Jayson Tatum recovered from his Achilles injury but never looked fully like himself. Brad Stevens and the front office have been quietly evaluating whether the championship core has another run in it. The answer they came to was no.
Trading Brown for Giannis is the kind of move that resets the franchise. You go from being a contender with question marks to being a clear favorite. Tatum and Giannis as your two pillars is the best basketball duo in the league, full stop.
The Heat are not out of it. Pat Riley is Pat Riley, and Miami has been gathering ammunition for years. The Heat can offer Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, a war chest of first-round picks, and the championship culture that Giannis is reportedly drawn to.
But the Celtics have one thing Miami does not. They have Tatum. The thought of pairing Giannis with the best small forward in the conference is the offer that no other team can match. Miami can offer culture. Boston can offer a guaranteed title within 18 months.
The Bucks side of this is interesting. Milwaukee is reportedly committed to making the move work if Giannis asks. Damian Lillard is gone after his Achilles tear. The Bucks roster has aged out. Giannis is 31 and entering the back half of his prime. The window in Milwaukee is closed, and everyone knows it.
The contract piece matters too. Giannis is reportedly willing to sign a four-year, $275 million extension wherever he lands. That is a financial commitment that protects the receiving team from a future trade demand. Both the Celtics and Heat have the cap structure to absorb the deal.
The NBA Draft is June 25. League sources expect a Giannis trade to happen before then, because the receiving team will want the draft picks before sending them out. That gives Bucks GM Jon Horst about nine days to finalize the deal.
For Celtics fans, the implications are massive. Jaylen Brown is a Finals MVP and a beloved figure in Boston. Trading him is the kind of move that hurts in the short term. But you do not say no to Giannis. You do not.
For Heat fans, the backup plan is Trae Young. We already covered that earlier. It is not the same thing.
For the rest of the East, this changes everything. The Knicks just won a title. The Celtics may be the team built to take it back. The Heat would be a major threat. The Bucks become a long-term rebuild. The entire conference re-orders around this one trade.
The next nine days are going to be loud.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
