Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP, a Finals MVP, and by all accounts, one of the five best players in the league and one of the 25 greatest players of all time, wants to play for the Boston Celtics. And yet, the Celtics don’t appear to want him back. We haven’t heard directly from either party, but by all accounts, the two sides are playing some serious, sexy hardball.
It’s starting to feel like every other day we get a new report from a credible reporter suggesting that Boston is a legitimate preferred destination for the Greek Freak. The latest news came today from the Athletic, with Sam Amick and Eric Nehm reiterating that Giannis is interested in joining the Heat, but added:
“There are also indications that he’s very intrigued with the prospect of joining a Celtics team that, by any objective measure, is deeper and more dynamic than Miami’s and could thus remain more competitive after a blockbuster deal. And again, Antetokounmpo’s focus on getting back to title contention should not be overlooked.”
And yet, we heard as recently as Tuesday, from Jake Fischer, that the Celtics are not expected to be a factor in the Giannis sweepstakes. And that’s not the first time we’ve heard this, as the same sentiment was reported earlier by both Bill Simmons and Marc Stein.
Boston a preferred destination for Giannis
So now, we’ve got a very awkward situation playing out. On the one hand, we’ve got a legitimate superstar, still in his prime, circling Boston as a desired trade destination. That happens to Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and maybe a handful of other teams. But not Boston. Not in my lifetime.
Again, this isn’t a veteran ring chaser, or a disgruntled past-his-prime star. This is arguably the best player alive. This is a guy who finished top-4 in MVP voting for seven straight seasons before this season. This is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, still in his prime.
Brad Stevens facing an impossibly difficult decision
So this should be a no-brainer for the Celtics, right? Well, apparently not. For one thing, the cost is foreboding. To realistically make this work, the Celtics would have to part with their own superstar, the homegrown Finals MVP, Jaylen Brown.
Giannis is better than JB, but he’s three years older, he’s coming off some injuries, and we just don’t know about the fit or how he’ll look in Boston. Jaylen, on the other hand, is a proven commodity. We know he can win a championship with Jayson Tatum, because we’ve already seen it. The ceiling is higher if they swap him for Giannis, but the floor may be lower, the window might be shorter, and the risk and downside of moving on from a franchise icon are much higher.
There’s no easy answer here, and it’s creating a bit of a shocking impasse. While I can’t believe a superstar is nearly requesting a trade to Boston, I also can’t come to terms with the thought of trading JB. There are basketball reasons to argue for either side, financial reasons to do the same, and there’s an inescapable emotional factor as well.
I don’t envy Brad Stevens and his team for the decision they’ll ultimately make and have to live with that will likely define the next few years for the franchise, but at the same time, I inherently trust them to make the right call either way.
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