In Part 1 of our Celtics offseason targets series, we spotlighted five impending unrestricted free agents who could make sense for Boston. In Part 2, we’re surveying the trade market for potential fits.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Let’s begin with the obvious one. Antetokounmpo will be the biggest name on the trade market this summer, and multiple national insiders have linked him to the Celtics. Those include ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reported that Boston “pursued” the two-time NBA MVP ahead of February’s trade deadline.
Leg injuries limited Antetokounmpo to 36 games this season, and landing him and his $58.5 million salary (with a $62.8 million player option for 2026-27) would require a heavy investment. Any realistic trade package for him likely would include Jaylen Brown, who just finished sixth in MVP voting. Breaking up the Brown-Jayson Tatum duo to add a 31-year-old player with injury concerns would be a massive gamble.
But when healthy, Antetokounmpo remains one of the NBA’s true elites. He averaged at least 30 points and 11 rebounds per game in 2022-23, ’23-24 and ’24-25 before his numbers dipped this season for a dysfunctional Milwaukee team. His skill set also would address what president of basketball operations Brad Stevens viewed as one of the Celtics’ biggest issues: a lack of rim pressure and interior scoring.
Boston ranked last in the NBA in made field goals inside five feet per game. Antetokounmpo led the league in that stat in each of the last five seasons (and ranked first or second in each of the last 10).
Isaiah Hartenstein
A key piece of the Thunder’s championship-winning roster, Hartenstein would provide a major boost to the Celtics’ shaky frontcourt if financial constraints prevent him from sticking around Oklahoma City.
The 7-footer is an effective rebounder at both ends and one of the NBA’s better facilitating big men, ranking in the 90th percentile for his position in assist percentage, per Cleaning the Glass, and near the top of the league in screen assists per game. He averaged a double-double in 2024-25, fell just short of one this season (9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists per game) and showed his value Wednesday night by helping slow down Victor Wembanyama in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.
Hartenstein has a $28.5 million club option in his contract for next season, so acquiring him would require OKC to either decline the option and send him into free agency, or agree to a sign-and-trade — ideally one that would fit into the $27.7 million traded player exception that Boston created by swapping Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic in February.
Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu, right, dunks against the Boston Celtics in the first half of an NBA game, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Onyeka Okongwu
If the Celtics want to add a stretch five, Okongwu’s development as a 3-point shooter could pique their interest. The Atlanta Hawks starter attempted more threes this season (5.2 per game) than he did in his first five NBA seasons combined, and he made a respectable 37.6% of them.
Okongwu dealt with injuries earlier in his career but appeared in 74 games in each of the last two campaigns. The 25-year-old has two years left on his contract and is set to make $16.1 million next season.
Isaiah Stewart
A rumored Celtics trade target in previous years, Stewart is Detroit’s frontcourt enforcer. Known for his physicality, he’s averaged 2.5 blocks per 36 minutes in each of the last two seasons despite standing just 6-foot-8. Stewart can provide decent offensive production, too, averaging 10.0 points per game this season as Jalen Duren’s primary backup.
Stewart, who turns 25 on Friday, has a $15 million salary for next season and an identical team option for 2027-28. He played an important role in the Pistons’ rise from Eastern Conference doormat to No. 1 seed, but he’s coming off a rough playoff run, falling behind Paul Reed in Detroit’s center rotation for parts of the East semifinals against Cleveland.
Nic Claxton
The last time the Nets were at all relevant, Claxton had the best season of his career, shooting 70.2% from the field, blocking 2.5 shots per game and finishing top-10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2022-23. The 6-foot-11 center has regressed in the years since while Brooklyn embraced the tank, but he was linked to the Celtics in trade rumors earlier this year.
If Boston believes a stronger supporting cast could unlock Claxton, he’d also fit within the aforementioned TPE. The 27-year-old is set to make $23.3 million in the third season of a four-year deal.
Daniel Gafford
Yet another player with a history of Celtics-centric trade speculation, Gafford would give Boston a jolt of rim protection, rebounding and interior scoring ability. Though he posted modest raw numbers for a rebuilding Dallas team this season (9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.3 blocks per game), he ranked in the 81st percentile among bigs in block percentage and the 87th percentile in effective field-goal percentage — and both of those marks were the worst of his career.
Durability is the biggest concern for Gafford, who missed 27 games this season and 25 in 2024-25. He’s under contract for the next three years at between $17.2 million and $19.0 million.