The Miami Heat have been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo all summer. (Mandatory Credit: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
There could be a Giannis Antetokounmpo resolution soon — very soon.
The New York Knicks were crowned champions Saturday night, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games. And the Milwaukee Bucks were reportedly waiting for the conclusion of those Finals before a final decision on where to send arguably the greatest player in their franchise’s history.
Most importantly, we are now nine days away from the 2026 NBA Draft, the Bucks’ self-imposed deadline for Antetokounmpo.
The Miami Heat have largely been the center of speculation to acquire Antetokounmpo, although they aren’t the one. There has been smoke surrounding the Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers and, most notably, the Boston Celtics.
Despite the increased speculation of another team undercutting the Heat for Antetokounmpo, they still have the most momentum among some insiders, according to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
“I’ve talked to some teams and well-placed league insiders who believe that momentum continues to rest with the Miami Heat when comes to getting a deal done,” Stein’s report read. “A deal, league sources say, that would feature Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware and Jaime Jacquez Jr. as presumed certainties among Heat veterans to be headed to Milwaukee along with the No. 13 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft as well as additional but not-yet-specified draft compensation.”
The key word there is “some,” because it’s not a consensus.
“I have also spoken to teams and well-placed insiders around the league who believe that it remains possible that Antetokounmpo does not ultimately land on South Beach,” Stein said. “As we’ve been reporting since late May, Boston is increasingly projected to be the other landing spot that Giannis prefers to be steered to … without overtly pushing as hard as he possibly can.
“Does Atlanta or Portland want to be the third team that joins the party to acquire Jaylen Brown and help facilitate a trade that makes Antetokounmpo a Celtic? The closest thing to a certainty, as of publication time on this Sunday, is that we’re nearing clarity.”
The biggest factor is quite clear:
As Stein highlighted, most of the Heat’s package is quite clear: Kel’el Ware, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and three first-round picks. After that, it’s a combination of Pelle Larsson, Kasparas Jakucionis and Nikola Jovic.
But the Celtics hold perhaps the most attractive trade chip — among those discussed — by a country mile: Jaylen Brown. His contract may make many scoff, but the five-time All-Star averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists on 47.7 percent shooting and 57.3 percent true shooting.
The Boston Media Mafia — specifically Bill Simmons and Kevin O’Connor — have been at the forefront of reports of the Celtics’ interest in Antetokounmpo, despite silence elsewhere. Under president Brad Stevens, the Celtics typically operated from the dark, dating back to their moves to acquire Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
Clearly, someone is feeding them information. From where? Well, I guess we’ll see in the coming days. My best guess is that it’s being used as leverage. Still, it also wouldn’t surprise me if the Celtics are serious about acquiring a perennial MVP candidate to complement their Mazzulla-ball style.
***
To check out our other content, click here.
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter/X here!
Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram here!
Check out Hot Hot Hoops on Facebook here!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel here!