Boston Celtics
“I have heard Boston is shopping people around a lot right now,” O’Connor said.
Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Jayson Tatum Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff)
Trading for Giannis Antetokunmpo will likely be an expensive proposition for whichever team lands him.
Plus, time is running short. Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam said the team plans to make a decision on Antetokunmpo’s future before the NBA Draft, which is less than two weeks away.
How big of a price would the Celtics be willing to pay? According to Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, Boston would be open to moving anyone on the roster except for Jayson Tatum.
“I have heard Boston is shopping people around a lot right now,” O’Connor said. “That Boston is making calls, Boston is open to trading anybody besides Jayson Tatum.
“And that doesn’t necessarily mean they land Giannis at the end of the day. But I do believe, based off all the conversations I’ve had, is that the Celtics are in on Giannis. And if they are making a push on him and that this seems to be currently a two-team race with Milwaukee to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo.”
There have been several conflicting reports about the Celtics’ involvement in the Antetokounmpo trade talks.
Bill Simmons said he believed the Celtics were out of the race before reversing his stance this week.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said he hadn’t heard anything about Jaylen Brown or Derrick White being available for trade, but also said that just because he hadn’t heard it doesn’t mean that it’s not true.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Eric Nehm said the Celtics pose a serious threat to the Heat’s pursuit of Antetokounmpo, noting that Brown would likely be the most prominent player that would go to Milwaukee in such a deal.
Multiple reports have said that Antetokounmpo is intrigued by the idea of joining the Celtics. His opinion on where he goes holds weight because he has one year left on his deal, followed by a player option. So, if a team wants to keep Antetokounmpo for longer than two seasons, they’ll need to know whether or not he’d be comfortable signing an extension.
But, the Bucks would also have to field a return that works for them. The franchise knows what it’s like to trade away a generational star without getting enough back in return.
They traded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers and watched him win five of his six titles in Los Angeles. The Bucks went 50 years without winning another title before Antetokounmpo led them to victory in 2021.
The Celtics have a mix of players that could help Milwaukee right now, and draft capital that could help sweeten a potential deal. Brown finished sixth in the MVP voting this season and should still be in his prime. He’ll turn 30 in October.
The question is: How far would the Celtics be willing to go with their bid? Antetokounmpo has a championship, two MVP awards, and seven consecutive All-NBA First Team selections.
Bringing him to Boston could be costly, but the prospect of pairing him with Tatum could change the Celtics’ ceiling.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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