Where will Giannis Antetokounmpo land? Heat, Celtics and an East arms race

By most reputable accounts, and as best as I can uncover, the sweepstakes for Giannis Antetokounmpo are boiling down to two teams, barring a dark-horse candidate entering the fray, and it’s maybe not a coincidence they’re both chief rivals of the champion New York Knicks.

“Miami is in the lead,” one league source said of the Heat, who, according to multiplereports, are dangling a package that includes Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., the No. 13 overall pick in this year’s draft and future draft capital for the two-time MVP.

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And if that is what the Heat are offering, without a blue-chip talent in the deal, why wouldn’t the Boston Celtics join the conversation? They could offer as the centerpiece of a trade Jaylen Brown, who is the best player the Milwaukee Bucks could possibly land in return for Giannis, and who might be able to fetch an even heftier haul from a third team.

“Boston is trying to make trades,” a league source said.

What exactly the Celtics are offering is difficult to determine. According to The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, Boston has indeed made an offer for Antetokounmpo. According to insider Jake Fischer, “Boston had not yet seriously engaged Milwaukee.” And according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Milwaukee was “seeking clarity” from Boston, among other teams.

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If the Bucks don’t know exactly what the Celtics are offering, what hope does anyone else have of knowing? A package would almost certainly have to include either Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and let’s be honest, even after his Achilles injury, the Celtics aren’t trading Jayson Tatum.

There’s the rub. In order to acquire Antetokounmpo, Boston would have to include Brown, and there is no indication that the Celtics have offered the Second Team All-NBA wing. And for good reason. If they offer him and fail to get Antetokounmpo, they risk alienating Brown, whose partnership with Tatum is under constant public scrutiny, especially since the 29-year-old called this season — one largely without his co-star — his career highlight.

More likely, the Celtics are seeking clarity from the Bucks about whether a deal…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/where-will-giannis-antetokounmpo-land-heat-celtics-and-an-east-arms-race-164205319.html

Author : Ben Rohrbach

Publish date : 2026-06-17 16:42:00

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