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Boston surprisingly included as potential landing spot for Giannis Antetokounmpo

Originally posted on Celtics Life | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 4:39 PM ET

ESPN's veteran insider reporter Brian Windhorst raised a lot of eyebrows on Friday when he included the Boston Celtics as a viable trade parter with the Milwaukee Bucks as the latter looks to maximize a trade package for their 30 year old superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Windhorst didn't give any potential names going back to Milwaukee, but since Boston doesn't have any top draft picks to trade, coupled with the fact it would be impossible to roster three super max veteran stars, Jaylen Brown would be the obvious central piece going back to Milwaukee.

The only other way for the Celtics to be players for Giannis would be if Jayson Tatum was going back to Milwaukee, which would be pretty unheard of due to Tatum being out for the next season with an Achilles tear. Milwaukee could conceivably gamble on Tatum making a full comeback and then having the younger superstar, who's game will likely age better, while also landing a high lottery pick next June due to Tatum being out for the year, but it would be really "bizarre for Boston to make that trade.

The only reason it could make sense on Boston's part is if they had high doubts that Tatum would return to his superstar level (Similar to Danny Ainge moving Isaiah Thomas for Kyrie Irving), but if they had those doubts so would Milwaukee, so again a Tatum for Antetokounmpo trade isn't realistic.

As crazy at it sounds based on Jaylen Brown's play which helped lead Boston to Banner 18 in 2024, Stevens very likely would swap Brown for Giannis if it was just a straight up swap, despite Jaylen being two years younger and a recent champion. And possibly the Bucks would settle for the straight up swap if they feared that their return might dwindle if they don't trade Giannis soon.

Brian Windhorst believes the Celtics could be in play to make a trade for Giannis

(via @GetUpESPN)pic.twitter.com/xR4MtN1SbS
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 30, 2025

With all that said there are several obstacles. For one due to the Celtics being a second apron team, they would have to cut salary in order to then trade for Giannis. In the end you'd have Antetokounmpo on a gutted Boston roster to team with Jayson Tatum who isn't even going to be suiting up this coming season. Would Giannis sign off on punting on one of his last prime seasons betting on a 100% Jayson Tatum return and competing for a title in 2026-27?

Honestly that's the only way a trade like this could take place. Celtics gut their roster and then trade Brown for Giannis, the team goes under the 2nd apron, punts on next season, and then tries to surround a 31 year old Giannis and a hopefully fully recovered Tatum with enough of a supporting cast to compete in 2026-27.

That wouldn't be easy when you take into account Antetokounmpo and Tatum's super max deals ruling out having cap space to add to the roster. Potentially if the Celtics shut down Giannis after the All-Star break with some fake injury, they could be bad enough to land a highish lottery pick to use in a trade, but that's a bit of a stretch.

Windhorst is leaning on the fact that the Western Conference is looking to be significantly tougher next season and for seasons to come, so Antetokounmpo will try to stay in the East to better his odds of making it back to the Finals. I just don't see Giannis being down for another losing season ahead of him with the carrot of partnering with Tatum in a year, but maybe I'm wrong. LeBron more or less punted a prime year to sign with the Lakers, but there was more hope that they could trade for a star during his first season in Los Angeles, than Tatum miraculously comes back 100% at some point next season and can play every game in a long playoff run.

This article first appeared on Celtics Life and was syndicated with permission.

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