Boston Celtics
The Celtics reportedly offered Jaylen Brown and two first-round picks as part of their offer to the Bucks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was a two-time MVP during his time with the Bucks. AP Photo/Aaron Gash
Giannis Antetokounmpo is on his way out. But not to Boston.
Despite being linked to trade rumors with the Bucks star for weeks, the Celtics failed to pursue Antetokounmpo, with Milwaukee reportedly trading the two-time MVP to the Miami Heat in a blockbuster deal.
According to ESPN Insider Shams Charaniathe Bucks traded Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, 3 first-round picks (including No. 13), 1 pick swap and 1 second-round pick.
Charania added that the Celtics made a convincing offer to Milwaukee to try to sign him Jayson Tatum — but Milwaukee ultimately selected a host of players and draft picks in Miami.
“The Celtics aggressively pursued Giannis, offering Milwaukee a package that includes 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and two first-round picks, sources tell ESPN,” Charania tweeted late Monday night. “The Bucks have negotiated seriously with two finalists in recent weeks: Miami and Boston, both of which are on Antetokounmpo’s list of preferred destinations.”
After Boston’s shocking first-round exit at the hands of the Sixers in April, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens emphasized that the team wants to add more “impact on the rim” moving forward.
A superstar talent like Antetokounmpo would fit that bill for Boston as the Celtics try to take on other contenders across the NBA landscape like the Knicks, Spurs and Thunder in the 2026-2027 season.
Yes, there are concerns about the 31-year-old striker’s age and recent injury problems. But Antetokounmpo’s resume speaks for itself.
Over the course of his 13 seasons in Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a championship in 2021, won two MVP awards, was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, and also earned 10 All-Star nominations.
Antetokounmpo became the third NBA player in league history – after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James – to win two MVP awards before turning 26, and he was also the third player in league history to win both the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same year – joining Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan.
Even with some valid reservations about how much Antetokounmpo has left in the tank as a true top-five talent in the NBA, his athleticism and ability to impact the game on both ends of the court could have been a much-needed antidote for Stevens and the Celtics.
He may not be an established three-point shooter, but Antetokounmpo is a devastating finisher in the paint. Despite appearing in just 36 games last season, he finished sixth in the league in total dunks with 142. He has led the league in that category the past two years from 2023-25.
Add to that his defensive abilities as a 6-foot-11 forward with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, and Antetokounmpo checks as many boxes as Stevens would have liked this season.
Antetokounmpo averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game during the 2025-26 season with the Bucks.
Now, Stevens and the Celtics are in a great place going into this offseason — especially when it comes to how best to move forward with both the Browns and a Celtics team that still needs several upgrades.
Speaking on his Twitch stream on Sunday, Brown said he was well aware of all the rhetoric surrounding him and the Bucks.
“Grateful in a way, because I saw some negativity that I didn’t want. But it gives more fuel to the fire,” Brown said in his Twitch stream while training with Olympic runner Noah Lyles. “I see some comments, or comments, that I didn’t even care to see, but it gives me more fuel to the fire.
“To all the people who doubted me, who want me to do this or want me gone, you are turning me into a monster.”
But, after Charania’s report that Brown was already on the offer to the Bucks for Giannis, it remains to be seen what the next steps are for both Boston and one of their stars.
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