Everyone should know by now that when someone as valuable as Giannis Antetokounmpo hits the market, such a saga can drag itself out for some time. The prospect of the Boston Celtics getting Giannis is exciting, but even if the Milwaukee Bucks don't have much leverage, they still have the golden goose. Hence, this might not get resolved as quickly as many would hope.
NBA Insider Chris Haynes revealed that Boston isn't too "promising" as a Giannis destination but also that this may drag on past the draft.
Chris Haynes on Giannis:
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) June 17, 2026
“From what I’m hearing this could drag on into free agency. This could drag on until July…. Boston seems a little bit from what I’m hearing and gauging, Boston doesn’t seem a promising destination…. I do still believe he will be moved this offseason… pic.twitter.com/8HXIJisTGw
This is good news for Boston's Giannis pursuit because if this drags on for some time, Miami loses some key leverage. They have the No. 13 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which becomes an asset until they use it, so if the Bucks wait until past the draft, they suddenly lose what might be their best asset to dangle to Milwaukee.
To be perfectly fair, it's hard to see how the Heat can top the Celtics' offer of Jaylen Brown - we still don't really know if he truly is or not - but if he is, and Miami can't offer what is technically a lottery pick in a trade for Giannis, it's hard to see how they can win these sweepstakes.
The only way they can is if Boston doesn't offer Brown, but whether they do or don't, no lottery pick being on the table hurts them.
Bucks' aim may be to get as clean a slate as possible
Getting a clean slate may not be about getting lottery picks back, but also about getting their own picks back. It's would explain why Portland and Atlanta have come up as potential Brown suitors: they own some of the Bucks picks either from deals they made directly with Milwaukee or from deals they've made with teams who had Milwaukee's draft assets.
If either of those two teams want to get involved as a Brown taker, they give the Bucks the chance to truly start a new chapter if that's what they want. The Heat can't really offer that much besides gutting their entire roster along with letting Milwaukee own their entire future.
It's why it would make sense if Milwaukee wants Boston to offer Brown because it simply gives them that option to try to start over by dangling him to another team. The Heat's leverage in this situation was already not great compared to the Celtics outside of them being one of Giannis' preferred destinations (one being the operative word).
If the Bucks decide that the Heat's lottery pick simply isn't enough to get a deal done, that could be the final nail in the coffin for Miami's chances of getting Giannis, and just might be what confirms he's Boston-bound.
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