The Heat have been chasing Giannis Antetokounmpo for months and the two-time MVP sounds interested in ending up in Miami, but the Bucks don’t appear to be in love with what the Heat are offering for the star forward, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports within his latest check-in on the Giannis sweepstakes.
That doesn’t mean the Bucks won’t ultimately accept Miami’s package, but Milwaukee’s front office continues to talk to other suitors, Windhorst writes. The Bucks recognize that trading a franchise icon is a move that would shape the direction of the organization for the next five or 10 years and don’t want to get it wrong.
The Celtics are another team with whom Antetokounmpo would be willing to sign an extension, league sources tell Windhorst, though he notes that Boston is somewhat wary for a few reasons. The Celtics typically don’t love being in trade situations in which player agents are also involved, they’ve had championship-level success with their Jayson Tatum/Jaylen Brown duo in the past, and they’d have to entirely change the way they play if they were to acquire Giannis, Windhorst writes.
Additionally, if the Celtics don’t end up making a deal for Antetokounmpo, it’s unclear what sort of impact the trade rumors might have on Brown, who has been frequently mentioned as a potential outgoing piece. That point, made by Windhorst, was echoed by Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (Twitter video link).
“I don’t think Giannis is going to be a Celtic. … (But) I think the Celtics are gauging what it would take to get Giannis to Boston and trying to figure out whether they want to move Jaylen Brown,” Washburn said during an appearance on Boston Sports Tonight on NBC Sports Boston. “And if there’s rumors that Jaylen is being moved and he hears that all summer, what kind of mentality will he have coming into next season, which is critical for this franchise.
“I do think Miami has the edge on this, but I do think Boston is kind of sniffing around and finding out could you even acquire Giannis without sacrificing Jaylen? What exactly is Milwaukee looking for?”
Here’s more trade chatter from around the NBA:
- On the heels of Chet Holmgren‘s disappointing showing in the Western Conference finals, reporting indicated that the Thunder wouldn’t be looking to trade the big man this offseason. According to Zach Lowe of The Ringer (Spotify podcast link), Oklahoma City has since been conveying that same message to potential trade partners, telling teams that Holmgren isn’t available (hat tip to RealGM).
- Teams around the NBA believe the Hornets, who are seeking a frontcourt upgrade, could move one of their two first-round picks (No. 14 and No. 18) for the right player, Jeremy Woo of ESPN reports within his latest mock draft. Charlotte has reportedly had talks with Sacramento about Domantas Sabonis but was reluctant to give up either first-rounder for the Kings center.
- Rival front offices think the Grizzlies will explore trading up from No. 16 to acquire a second lottery pick, Woo writes in the same story. As he points out, Memphis has been willing in the past to make that sort of move – most recently moving up from No. 16 to No. 11 last year to select Cedric Coward – and has a surplus of future draft assets to offer up in trade discussions.
- The Thunder‘s No. 17 overall pick is widely viewed as the first-rounder that’s most likely to change hands, says Woo, with Oklahoma City expected to be very active during or around the draft.
