Bucks reportedly eyeing ‘prized’ Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez

As trade talks with Giannis Antetokounmpo continue to intensify, Milwaukee has shown interest in adding one of the Celtics’ promising young players.

“Bucks are interested in young Spanish guard Hugo Gonzalez in Boston,” sources say, a longtime NBA insider. Written by Mark Stein.

Jaylen Brown He will be the focus of the Celtics’ trade offer, but Milwaukee expects more than just the 2024 NBA Finals MVP in exchange for Antetokounmpo, according to CNN. ESPN’s Shams Charania.

“There are two offers that I have now reached at a serious and important level,” Charania said. “This is a Celtics offer led by Jaylen Brown who is a superstar. There are other additional pieces to this deal.”

“Or the Miami Heat, which is made up of a lot of players you can control on entry-level contracts, guys you can extend with a reasonable amount and surplus capital.”

Gonzalez, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound guard who turned 20 in February, averaged 3.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.6 steals in 14.6 minutes per game last season. He shot 36 percent from 3-point range and 47 percent from the field.

Gonzalez was among the players who were pressured when they were sent off Joe MazzolaThe rotation was tightened during the playoffs. He played in four of the seven matches, averaging 4.8 minutes in the contests he participated in. He did not score in the first-round series against Philadelphia, missing all three of his shot attempts in Game 7.

But, given Gonzalez’s age, athleticism, skills and instincts, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens sees room for growth. Stevens said Gonzalez didn’t show enough to separate himself from some of the other young wings on the Celtics’ roster, but he ended up making a positive impression during his first season with the Celtics.

“He’s probably one of the toughest players on our team as a 20-year-old,” Stevens said. “He has a bright future, and that means he hasn’t separated himself from these other guys. As a front-office guy, I can’t sit here and say one guy has to play over another.”

The Celtics will place Gonzalez under club control through 2029. There is one year remaining on his contract, followed by two club options. His cap hit, which was $2.8 million last year, will rise to $5.5 million by the final year of his deal.

Khari A. Thompson

Sports reporter

Khary Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khary covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.