Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire, and for a hot minute there was plenty of smoke around Giannis Antetokounmpo being traded to the Boston Celtics. But those rumors appear to be all but dead, with Jake Fischer being the latest NBA insider to list the Cs as a team that is not expected to enter the sweepstakes for the two-time MVP.
Things heated up almost immediately in the wake of the Celtics’ collapse against the 76ers, with reports that Boston had talked to Milwaukee around the deadline and would re-engage. Then we got word that Boston was a preferred destination for the Greek Freak and that he wanted to stay in the East and play for a contender.
Dots were starting to be connected, and plenty of fans were starting to dream big, but since then we’ve gotten nothing but cold water. Bill Simmons was the first to come out and say that he didn’t think the Celtics were in on Giannis. Marc Stein followed up that report by confirming the information from his sources.
Jake Fischer says Celtics are out on Giannis
And now, Fischer, the people’s insider, named the Celtics, along with the Rockets, Timberwolves, Thunder, and Cavaliers, in a list of teams that he doesn’t anticipate making a run at the Bucks’ superstar.
"The Celtics have come up a lot in Giannis chatter over the last couple of weeks as well. I don't really think that the Celtics are a real factor here."
Despite all of this reporting, who’s to say what the Celtics will actually do? There have barely been any leaks during the Brad Stevens era, and almost all of his moves have come out of left field with almost no rumors or reporting leading up to the deals.
Multiple NBA insiders reiterating Boston's lack of interest in Giannis
That could be the case here, but this feels different. Giannis is the biggest fish in the sea that is the NBA trade market, and everyone in the league is talking about it. Stein and Fischer are as legitimate as it gets; Simmons is locked in on the Celtics and connected around the league, plus we’ve heard similar sentiments from the likes of Zach Lowe, Brian Windhorst, Chris Haynes, and others.
At this point, that’s a good deal of the most reputable names in NBA media all saying the same thing. We know the Bucks want to deal Giannis ahead of the draft, which is now just three weeks away. If the Celtics were truly interested, they’d be making moves, and with all the hullabaloo around this potential blockbuster, people would have heard. And people would talk.
And one way or another, we would likely know about it. So, nothing is final until Antetokounmpo signs an extension to stay in Milwaukee or is traded to a new team, but I think it’s safe to say Celtics fans can just about turn the page on the summer of Giannis before it even begins.
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