The Boston Celtics' season ended with a disappointing first-round exit, and they could be poised for a big move in the summer.
The Celtics have already been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks in trade rumors. They reportedly tried acquiring him at the trade deadline, and are expected to show interest once again. Additionally, The Athletic's Sam Amick and Eric Nehm reported on Wednesday that Antetokounmpo is "very intrigued" by the Celtics.
The Celtics will have to move Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum to get Antetokounmpo, and it's pretty clear which player they would choose. Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus proposed this trade idea to make Antetokounmpo a Celtic:
Celtics receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo and a $706,566 trade exception
Bucks receive: Jaylen Brown, Max Shulga, 2026 first-rounder (No. 27), 2027 first-rounder
"Brown is the best player the Bucks could receive in an Antetokounmpo, but the draft compensation is relatively sparse," Pincus wrote on Thursday. "This path represents Milwaukee's intent to compete as quickly as possible, rather than a measured retool. Upcoming changes to the NBA's lottery system may make full rebuilds less attractive to teams—not that it was ever especially appealing to a franchise to bottom out over a sustained period. Regardless, the Bucks don't have their first-round pick in 2027. The larger question would be how quickly Milwaukee can field a viable roster around Brown. He helped carry the Celtics through the regular season while Jayson Tatum was injured. Can he do the same with the Bucks?"
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported earlier this offseason that if Brown is involved in a deal to get Antetokounmpo to Boston, a third team would need to get involved. The Bucks reportedly do not want to build around Brown. They are interested in draft capital and young players. They could swap Brown for more picks to go along with the two first-rounders the Celtics would send in this proposed deal.
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