Sometime this century, the Giannis Antetokounmpo saga will finally be done, and we can go on with the rest of our lives. Whether the Boston Celtics win in the end or not, it has recently come out that the Bucks want Hugo Gonzalez in a Giannis trade. That actually makes sense because Gonzalez had his best game of the season against, you guessed it, the Bucks.
Jake Fischer was the first to report that the Bucks want Gonzalez in the deal on top of Jaylen Brown.
A split faction of Milwaukee’s decision makers, sources say, is deciding between Boston’s package for Giannis Antetokounmpo built around Jaylen Brown — where the Bucks also hold particular Hugo Gonzales interest, as @TheSteinLine reported last night — plus limited draft capital,…
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 22, 2026
Even though his numbers won't do him justice, Gonzalez is coming off a pretty promising rookie season. His rookie season peaked in the Celtics' final game against Milwaukee, where Gonzalez not only showed his energy and impact, but he also put up a double-double of 18 points and 16 rebounds.
There's no telling what Gonzalez's ceiling is, but what is looking certain is that he should have a long and prosperous NBA career. His defense was very much NBA-ready to the point that many wondered why he didn't play in the playoffs until Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Even his offensive game has some upside to it, between his Eurostep and not awful three-pointer. If he's able to prove himself a capable floor-spacer, there's a really good chance he's going to be an elite starter in this league.
It makes sense why the Bucks would want him to help them start over. However, it's also for that reason that Boston may not want to part ways after his role in helping the team to stay afloat.
Gonzalez isn't on the table... apparently
Since Fischer reported that the Bucks want Gonzalez on the table in a deal, both MassLive's Brian Robb and Bill Simmons have revealed that the Celtics prefer to keep him.
I’m just gonna say….
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) June 22, 2026
I would be absolutely shocked if Hugo was/is thrown into any Giannis trade offer. The entire organization is all-in on him - Stevens prob the most. They could not be higher on him. I genuinely don’t believe he’s involved. Guess we’ll see.
That's all well and good, but Boston must keep in mind that if he's not on the table, then who is? It's been established that Jaylen Brown would have to be sent back to Milwaukee for a deal to work, but the Bucks would probably want more than that.
It makes sense because it's Giannis, so trading him shouldn't be so easy. Unfortunately, because the Bucks waited as long as they have to get this done, his vakue has cratered to the point that it's hard to see how they can get an offer that tops Brown alone. There's Miami's offer, but in case it hasn't been clear, if Milwaukee liked that offer, Antetokounmpo would have been in South Beach already.
The fact is, because the Bucks want a hotshot youngster to go with Brown should make Boston feel all the more excited about Gonzalez and what the team's prospects are with him no matter what happens.
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