Rumors surrounding the Boston Celtics and Giannis Antetokounmpo are heating up, and it may take a massive three-team deal to actually get a deal done.
It would presumably take moving on from Jaylen Brown to make Antetokounmpo a Celtic. However, reports indicate that the Bucks would not want Jaylen Brown and would prefer younger players and draft picks to jumpstart their rebuild. The Celtics could find a third team to take Brown, and then send players and picks to the Bucks.
Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus proposed this blockbuster three-team trade between the Bucks, Celtics and Atlanta Hawks that would send Brown to Atlanta and bring Antetokounmpo to Boston:
Celtics receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Hawks receive: Jaylen Brown (From Celtics), Andre Jackson Jr. (From Bucks), No. 27 overall pick (From Celtics) and
$3 million trade exception (Buddy Hield)
Bucks receive: Jonathan Kuminga (from Hawks), Zaccharie Risacher (from Hawks), Corey Kispert (from Hawks)
Buddy Hield (from Hawks), Max Shulga (from Celtics), No. 8 overall pick (from Hawks), No. 23 overall pick (from Hawks), 2027 unprotected first-rounder (from Celtics) and a 2029 unprotected first-rounder (from Hawks)
This would be a massive trade that nets the Bucks plenty of picks and young talent. Meanwhile, the Celtics land a two-time MVP and the Hawks get a new No. 1 option in Brown. The Hawks have reportedly tried to trade for Brown multiple times in the past few years, so there should be interest in acquiring him after what was his best season.
"The Celtics give (Antetokounmpo) a viable, competitive roster, but in this variation, the Bucks choose to reroute Brown, 30 in October, to the Hawks," Pincus wrote on Thursday. "Instead, Milwaukee gets younger wings on reasonable contracts like Risacher, the No. 1 pick in 2024, and Kuminga, drafted No. 7 by the Golden State Warriors in 2021. Kispert, No. 15 in 2021, is solid; Hield only has $3 million of his salary guaranteed. Where the Bucks improve most is getting Nos. 8 and 23 from the Hawks, instead of No. 27 from the Celtics. In addition to the 2027 first from Boston, Milwaukee lands the 2029 first from Atlanta."
Meanwhile, the Hawks add Brown without giving up Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu or Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
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