Rumors tying Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Boston Celtics have been rampant for the past several days. Time will tell as to whether this could actually happen, but don't expect these rumors to die down. However, if they persist, something Celtics fans should know about Brad Stevens by now is that there are no leaks from his front office.
It does sound like there was some interest in Giannis from the Celtics side from NBA Insider Jake Fischer. He revealed that though there was some interest, it didn't seem like Boston was seriously chasing the two-time MVP.
"I know there's been a fair bit of Brown-for-Antetokounmpo speculation lately — in part because their salaries are in the same vicinity — but my understanding is that the Celtics to this point only expressed cursory interest in Giannis before the February trade deadline like so many other teams. I never got the sense that Boston was a certified suitor for Antetokounmpo. Nor did I get any indication that Giannis was seriously moved by the idea of joining the Celtics," Fischer wrote.
That was back in February. Since then, Boston has just been humiliated by Philadelphia, which is their second consecutive concerning early playoff exit. Things will likely change. Stevens made it sound as though he's not ignoring the problems and wants to make some changes.
Hence, it wouldn't be surprising if he's looking at Giannis to potentially turn things around. Whether he succeeds or not is yet to be determined, but for the record, don't be surprised if not much intel comes out about the Celtics if and when they chase Antetokounmpo.
Stevens' front office does not leak stuff. Typically, when the Celtics do something, it comes out of right field when it happens. There no strong hints of it happening before it's basically at the one-yard-line. The only times where Celtics fans can know when the team is serious these days is when Adam Himmelsbach reveals they *might* be interested.
Case and point: Jrue Holiday in 2023.
The Celtics’ pursuit of Jrue Holiday remains alive, I’m told. But there’s still a significant gap.
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) September 30, 2023
Not too long after, Holiday was a Celtic, but that's the only surefire way to know if Boston truly is exploring something.
Don't be surprised if Milwaukee leaks stuff though
Even though Stevens doesn't leak intel, other team has negotiated with has. It was abundantly clear the Brooklyn Nets leaked the Celtics' supposed interest in Kevin Durant to Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski back in 2022. They did that not necessarily out of spite but to also drive up the price.
Don't be surprised if the Bucks do the same thing should they and Stevens get into a tug of war this summer. Whether Boston is interested or not, the Giannis trade rumors will not only get hot again, but may get the hottest they've ever been, as it's been clearer than ever that these two sides will part ways.
In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn't think this situation should have been resolved a long time ago, but I digress.
The point is, if there's any intel leaking Giannis to Boston over the next few months that wouldn't indicate a deal is done, it would be the twist of the century if that came from Stevens camp. Stevens has yet to play by the rules that other teams do. He may make an exception for a basketball titan like Giannis, but we'll believe it when we see it!
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