Latest Giannis buzz could solidify Celtics' dominance if it comes true

The Boston Celtics rolled through the Eastern Conference last season, and once they got to the NBA Finals, it was more of the same. Brad Stevens carefully concocted an elite roster built to take down every style of opponent. And the Celtics succeeded in that quest. But Giannis Antetokounmpo is still in the East.

Antetokounmpo wasn’t healthy for the postseason last year, and his squad got eliminated by the Indiana Pacers. But when he’s healthy, he’s one of the best players in the NBA. Maybe the Celtics would have beaten a healthy Bucks team, but Antetokounmpo’s talent cannot be denied. As long as he’s in the East, he will have to be on the Celtics’ radar.

But if the latest buzz comes true, Boston’s lives could get a lot easier.

Giannis Antetokounmpo getting traded to the Western Conference would be a dream for the Celtics

During a recent chat with Sam Amick of The Athletic, Antetokounmpo pulled a Bucks staffer aside and made a sarcastic comment that was seemingly a joke.

“If we don’t win this year, would you get fired?” Antetokounmpo asked with a wry smile to his co-worker, as written by Amick. “Do you have it in the back of your mind, like, ‘(What) if this year doesn’t go well?’ Yeah, if we don’t win a championship, I might get traded. Yeah, this is the job we live. This is the world we’re living in. It’s everybody.”

While Antetokounmpo was supposedly joking when he made the remark, there’s a hint of truth to what he said. If Milwaukee falls short yet again this year, the future of the team will have to be questioned. And if he wants to compete at the highest level, there’s a chance he could want to be traded.

Even if Antetokounmpo doesn’t want to be moved, the Bucks could want to hit the reset button and capitalize on his value.

If Antetokounmpo were to get traded to a team in the East, little would change for the Celtics. But if the Bucks sent him West, Boston would get a breath of fresh air.

Seeing Antetokounmpo moved out West would mean the only true superstars left in the East would be Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, and maybe Jalen Brunson (if he can be placed on that tier).

Regardless, Antetokounmpo’s departure would mean the Celtics would have one less superstar to worry about, making their dominance atop the East even clearer.

It seems relatively unlikely that Antetokounmpo gets moved from the Bucks, but it’s not impossible. And if it does happen, the Celtics’ control over the conference would grow even stronger.