Giannis Antetokounmpo is back on the trade market, and rumors are gaining momentum once again.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Antetokounmpo is working closely with his agent, Alex Saratsis, to navigate the 30-year-old’s uncertain future. Talks are expected to include the possibility of a split, which would open the door for multiple suitors eager to make a move for the two-time league MVP in what could become the blockbuster trade of the year.
This season, Antetokounmpo is putting up 30.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 6.4 assists, making a strong case for another MVP-caliber campaign in his 13th year. But amid Milwaukee’s gradual slide — the Bucks have dropped eight of their last 10 games and sit at No. 11 in the Eastern Conference — Antetokounmpo’s patience with the organization appears to be wearing thinner by the day.
So… should Brad Stevens and the Celtics get in the mix and make a run at landing the Greek Freak? Nirav and Gio make their cases:
Nirav’s case for not trading for Giannis:
I’ll be straightforward with my response. No, it’s not worth it for Boston to pursue Giannis at this point in time. Yes, I still believe that he is a top-5 player in the world. Yes, I believe Jayson Tatum fits that description as well, and understand what it might mean to pair two players of that caliber together. It’s still not worth it.
First things first, at the end of the day, this trade has to work out financially for both sides, as well as from a roster compliance standpoint. There are few baseline options available that make the money work. Giannis makes $54,126,450, the same exact amount that Jayson Tatum is owed, though Giannis’s contract only extends two years past this season, the second being a player option. Tatum’s, on the other hand, is guaranteed through 2028-29 with a player option in 2029-30.
Jaylen makes just under $1 million less than Giannis this year, and is under contract through the 2028-29 season. Since Boston is capped at the first apron, they would need to add in at least one other contract to bridge the gap between his and Giannis’s contracts, be that a minimum player like Jordan Walsh, who makes $2.2 million annually, or going as high as Sam Hauser, who makes just over $10 million annually. Boston would also need to make sure they have at least 14 players on the roster within two weeks of the trade being completed, a 2-for-1 taking them down to 13.
The last option, combining the salaries of Derrick White and Anfernee Simons in a package. Derrick recently signed a large extension, now earning $28.1 million this year with an additional three years remaining on his contract. Simons makes $27.7 million this year, and his contract expires at the end of the season. Together, the two of them make about $1.7 million more than Giannis.
Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images
So, now that we know what the options are financially, let’s take a closer look at the reality of them.
I think just about everyone can agree that Tatum is pretty darn close to untouchable at this point, barring a significant complication with the Achilles injury. He also has a much higher upside than Giannis at this point in their careers, while being locked down for longer. I would not entertain a straight swap between the two, and all of Milwaukee’s picks are tied up until 2031. Unless Nico Harrison commandeers Brad’s job, it’s not worth it, nor is it happening.
Next, Jaylen Brown and then some. In terms of value, I think it’s safe to say that Giannis is a better player than JB. Milwaukee probably wouldn’t be happy with that package unless it included draft comp, so now you’re talking about giving up current and future depth for the Celtics, all while taking on another massive contract of a player who is two years older.
Let’s say best case scenario we’re treating it effectively as a 1-to-1 swap. Pairing JT with Giannis sounds very tempting, but their games aren’t exactly complimentary. While I would consider Tatum to be the most adaptable of any current star player, Giannis is probably the least adaptable given his shooting and passing limitations. He effectively is the system when he plays, and would likely change the entire offensive and defensive dynamics of the Celtics if he were to come over.
Taking on an overhaul like that when you’ve already proven that your current formula works is not a risk worth taking. It would be like the Bucks trading Jrue Holiday for Damian Lillard – sure, Dame was the better player, but Holiday was a better fit for the system, and already was a huge part of bringing a ring back to Milwaukee. Giannis may be the better player than JB, but Jaylen was the Finals MVP on Boston’s first championship team in 16 years.
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
With losing Jaylen, there’s an added toll in terms of chemistry, leadership, and the overall off-court impact. JB might already be considered a Boston legend for his community work alone. This isn’t to say that Giannis isn’t also a great dude, but impact like this isn’t as interchangeable as it may be on a basketball court. Building relationships takes time, and Brown has invested a lot of time and money into the city of Boston. I personally would love for him to stay with the Celtics for the entirety of his career, though I understand this isn’t something that trumps winning at the end of the day.
Now for the White and Simons package. I will say, if Milwaukee wanted to take that offer straight up, I wouldn’t necessarily be against it. Derrick is becoming a Boston legend in his own right, but if we’re being real, trading him for Giannis is almost a no-brainer if all it takes is adding in the expiring contract of a player who was brought in just to avoid the second apron. It would hurt a little (a lot) as a fan, but that’s unreal value.
The problem is just that, though – it is unrealistic. Milwaukee would never go for it, because they will almost definitely get better value elsewhere unless we add in more incentives on our end in the form of young players and picks. This goes back to the issues with the JB trade. Derrick is a vital piece, and Simons’s contract is likely already being shopped to bring in more depth to this team for when Tatum returns. By consolidating both of their contracts into one player, and then adding even more compensation on top of that, Boston really has their hands tied in terms of building around the new big three of JT – JB – Giannis.
Sheer star power is not necessarily enough to get it done these days. Depth goes a long way on both sides of the ball. Just look at what OKC is accomplishing – SGA is a top-three player in the world right now and the obvious head of the snake, but the team has maintained their winning ways through a lot of other injuries thanks to their depth. They have a cheap, plug-and-play system running over there that’s set them up for long-term success, even after extending Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to massive contracts.
A Jayson – Jaylen – Giannis trio is a scary thought, but it has a short window, and a tiny margin for error. You may see them bring home some more hardware, but that’s not a guarantee, and it would likely be crippling going forward, potentially ending as quickly as the 2024 Championship team did.
All in all, I don’t see the package Boston would have to put together to win the sweepstakes as a good gamble. The Celtics have a championship pedigree instilled in them already, have been effectively been developing younger talent, and Brad Stevens is too good at his job to not get them back into contention in a much cheaper fashion.
Gio’s case for trading for Giannis:
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a generational talent, which means Brad Stevens and the Celtics have an underlying obligation to at least check in with the Bucks to gauge what the asking price for the Greek Freak might be.
On that point, there should be a universal agreement — regardless of the debate around it.
Antetokounmpo’s résumé speaks for itself: a nine-time All-Star, two-time MVP, and NBA Finals MVP. Players of his caliber don’t hit the market often, and they’re rarely willing to leave the team that drafted them — especially in Giannis’ case, having already carried the Bucks to the mountaintop for the first time in 50 years just four years ago.
That said, the obvious remains: trading for Giannis won’t be easy, least of all for the Celtics. It would require Stevens, Bill Chisholm, Wyc Grousbeck, and the rest of Boston’s brass to make yet another tough decision after an offseason already riddled with them. Antetokounmpo is set to earn an average salary north of $58 million over the next three seasons, including a $62.7 million player option in 2027-28 — a built-in financial sudoku puzzle for front offices across the league.
For Boston, that means offloading a major contract — essentially choosing which beloved fan favorite to part with. With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as the clear untouchables in any attempt to form this almost unthinkable “Big Three,” the most logical trade chip becomes Derrick White, who signed a four-year, $125 million extension two offseasons ago.
Milwaukee already explored trade talks involving Anfernee Simons this past offseason, per HoopHype’s Michael Scotto, so moving him would clear $27.7 million off the books for a sharpshooting guard who hasn’t logged a single start for Boston this season. Realistically, that’s only half the battle in assembling a full trade package for the Bucks, but it would be an important step toward positioning the Celtics for what would be, by far, the most dominant starting lineup we’ve seen in the Tatum-Brown era.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – FEBRUARY 19: Jayson Tatum #0 of Team Giannis is introduced during the NBA All-Star Game as part of 2023 NBA All Star Weekend on Sunday, February 19, 2023 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Pairing Giannis with Tatum and Brown would give coach Joe Mazzulla not one, not two, but three downhill threats who can attack the rim, shred any defensive coverage, and create mismatches in the blink of an eye. And it goes without saying: Antetokounmpo’s presence alone would ease the burden on Tatum and Brown, adding an element opponents already struggle to contain — even before you factor in the idea of the Greek Freak playing alongside two All-NBA talents like the Jays. We’re talking about an offense capable of forcing opponents to pull their starters and wave the white flag early — and doing it routinely throughout the regular season.
Granted, this isn’t to suggest that acquiring Antetokounmpo tomorrow would magically erase all of Boston’s issues. For this to work, the role players — Jordan Walsh, Hugo González, Baylor Scheierman, Josh Minott, and whoever remains after the trade — would need to develop quickly and meet the heightened expectations that come with Giannis in a Celtics uniform. There’s no time to play the wait-and-see game, especially since the urgency to win immediately is a primary reason Antetokounmpo preferred leaving the Bucks to begin with.
Picture this: Tatum, Brown, and Giannis commanding the court every night — no matter who else is on the floor. The spacing, pick-and-roll mastery, and unrelenting ball movement would be so devastating that conspiracy theorists would swear Stevens struck a deal with the Devil himself. There isn’t a defense out there today equipped to neutralize that kind of threat.
Not to mention, he’s also shooting a career-best 63.9% from the field this season with the Bucks.
For Chisholm and Boston’s new ownership group, landing Giannis would be an immediate statement. While it’s understandable that the Celtics had to part ways with Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet over the summer, Boston isn’t a market built for patience. Tatum and Brown are in their primes now. Squandering that while committing over $107.3 million per year just to keep the duo intact doesn’t make sense. That’s not a plan — it’s hesitation.
Grousbeck became one of the most well-received owners in Boston thanks to his transparency and commitment to the Celtics. Fans never had to push him to do right by the franchise; it was always front and center, even when decisions were tough. He knew when it was time to move on from Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in 2013. He made the right call in drafting and keeping Brown instead of trading him for Jimmy Butler, and he recognized that dealing Marcus Smart for Porzingis was a necessary, if painful, step toward Banner 18.
Giannis would fix some glaring issues for Boston: a dependable presence in the frontcourt, less pressure on unproven reserves when Tatum sits, and a much-needed boost to the team’s scoring diversity. Opportunities to land a player of his caliber are almost nonexistent in NBA history — and Tatum and Brown have never played alongside anyone quite like him either.
Ultimately, Giannis in Boston is more wishful thinking than reality, but it’s a scenario worth considering nonetheless — especially for the Celtics themselves.