The Boston Celtics are one of the flashiest names linked in trade rumors to Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
They may not be the most likely landing spot, though — and that’s because of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
It’d be hard for the Celtics to pull off a trade for Giannis without including one of their current stars.
“Acquiring Antetokounmpo would almost certainly come at the cost of Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum and would continue Boston’s significant roster reshuffle that began in the 2025 offseason,” ESPN’s Bobby Marks wrote in a new article on Thursday. “Brown is extension-eligible starting July 26 and has three seasons remaining. His salary next season is $57.1 million. Tatum has four years left on his contract and makes the identical salary as Antetokounmpo.”
Would Antetokounmpo be an upgrade on either? Yeah, probably, but he would cost more than just the one player — there’d likely be a chunk of draft picks involved, too.
And that’s before you even consider that the Celtics would still have to get Antetokounmpo to sign an extension to stick around Boston beyond the 2026-27 season.
“Would the Celtics spit up Tatum or Brown if there is no assurance Antetokounmpo will extend his deal during the regular season?” Marks wonders. “The answer should be a hard no considering Brown and Tatum have at least three years remaining on their contracts.”
If the Celtics figure out Giannis does want to be in Boston for the long haul, that could change the equation, for sure.
The Bucks certainly would like the idea of getting a guy like Tatum or Brown back and having them under control for at least a few seasons.
So there’s definitely reason for intrigue around Boston. There’s just also more reason for pause than there is with some of the teams in these rumors.
