Somehow, just when it seemed like we were out of the woods from all the ridiculous Giannis Antetokounmpo stories, the hype train has gone off the tracks again with the latest reporting from Shams Charania, which revealed that Giannis has been indicating that he and the Bucks should part ways for months now.
None of this is groundbreaking, as it has seemed like this is where things have been headed for a while now, but it was interesting that, in a related piece by Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Celtics were reported to be interested in the two-time MVP.
This came on the heels of Giannis offering unprompted, effusive praise of Joe Mazzulla, so perhaps there is some real mutual interest here between the two sides. On the surface, the idea of trading for another superstar is tantalizing, but Brad Stevens and the Celtics’ front office should avoid this situation.
Giannis not likely to age well
For starters, the actual player may not even be worth it. The Greek Freak is an NBA legend, already cemented as a top 75 (and probably better) player of all time. But he’s 31 years old and has been dealing with calf and hamstring issues for years. He hasn’t been able to stay on the floor consistently in recent seasons, and he hasn’t won a playoff series since 2022.
His game is predicated on size, strength, and physicality. He has improved as a passer and playmaker, but he’s a guy who wants the ball in his hands but nevr developed a reliable jump shot. When he was on the court this season, he was still playing at a very high level, but the fall off could be fast, and he’s going to want a five-year supermax extension from whatever team trades for him.
Celtics would have to gut the roster to add Giannis
Considering his giant salary, there are really only two paths to acquiring Giannis: trading one of the Jays or trading everything else. With the sustained success the Celtics have had with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, dealing one of them for an older player who may not fit and would change the style makes zero sense and would be devastating for the fanbase.
The other option would be aggregating the rest of the salaries on the team, like Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and others. The strength of this team has been the depth and the great play of all those role players. Trading them to create a big three with Giannis and the Jays would be interesting, but would likely set up a short window with no margin for error.
Celtics are better off building organically than star-chasing
As it stands, the team is set up for success in the long and short term. They have a balanced roster with lots of cheap, young, promising players, and they all fit wonderfully around the Jays, who are two of the most versatile two-way stars in the league, and Mazzulla’s system.
Even with Tatum clearly less than 100%, this team has quickly become the favorites to win the East, and there’s no reason that should change any time soon. Plus, by ducking the tax this season, they’ve created a lot of flexibility to go out and keep building the roster around the Jays for the rest of the decade and beyond.
Boston is in a great position of power right now, and Stevens and company have proven that they can make lemonade out of lemons when needed. Mortgaging all of that for a player who’s likely on the decline has been nothing but a distraction for his own team (which he couldn’t even help make the play-in tournament this season) would be a huge mistake.