The Boston Celtics have been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo in trade rumors after reportedly trying to acquire him at the most recent trade deadline.
Antetokounmpo has kept pretty quiet on trade rumors, essentially saying he wants to remain a Buck, but it's up to the team at this point. Whether that's true or not is unclear, but trade rumors are not new for the star or his teammates. According to the Associated Press' Tim Reynolds, an Antetokounmpo trade could also include Bobby Portis.
Portis spoke on trade rumors surrounding the Bucks' superstar and himself during an appearance on "Run it Back" on Thursday.
“I talk to bro every week, every other week. We always check in…. I’ve been hearing about Giannis rumors and trades for 6 years so I don’t know what’s going to happen. The best thing we can do is wake up everyday, keep grinding keep working, whatever happens is gonna happen.”
Portis and Antetokounmpo are good friends, and it would not be surprising to see them traded together. The Celtics had seemingly taken a backseat in Antetokounmpo trade rumors until Thursday. Bill Simmons noted on Thursday that he felt like the Celtics were back in the sweepstakes after claiming that they did not want him last month.
“I thought Boston was out of this,” Simmons said. “I know Boston was out of this. I was wondering if they were playing possum or not. I think they were playing a little possum. I think they are in on Giannis. I’m not recanting what I said before. I don’t know the reasons for it. Maybe they felt like Miami’s offer is an offer they could beat. Maybe they want to drive the price of Miami’s offer up and don’t really have interest in him.”
Additionally, NBA insider Jake Fischer noted on Thursday that the Miami Heat are concerned about the Celtics as a suitor for Antetokounmpo. The Bucks have noted their desire to resolve the Antetokounmpo situation before the draft, but Portis is not thinking about it too much. He is simply focused on working to be better.
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