The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors not only won't go away, but will be louder than ever this summer. With the Boston Celtics' playoff humiliation looking worse than ever, the two-time MVP will be linked to them. The Celtics should feel good about their prospects if they are serious about Antetokounmpo, as they can give him exactly what he wants.
The Athletic's Sam Amick revealed that Giannis' preference "is believed to be interested in joining a true title-contender" and that "it’s widely believed he’d prefer to play for an Eastern Conference team."
With the East as wide open as it's ever been, it's fair to believe that the Celtics would this bill, as they are only two years removed from their title season.
Technically speaking, joining a team that got ousted in the first round wouldn't sound like a contender, but there's a solid case that acquiring Antetokounmpo would push Boston back into title contention if he were to be paired with Jayson Tatum. Or, if by some miracle, he could be paired with Tatum and Jaylen Brown (literally feasible but metaphorically impossible).
The Bucks have proven that they will do anything Antetokounmpo wants except trade him (but that's because he won't directly ask for one). Because the writing is on the wall, and Milwaukee has no options, it's pretty easy to see the Celtics being among the best options for Giannis.
It will depend on what Boston is willing to offer
If it hasn't been clear before, while rumors will leak, don't expect it to be from Boston's side. Brad Stevens does not show his hand, though Jon Horst probably will, and it will be in his best interest if and when he puts one of the NBA's very best players on the market.
What also would work in Boston's favor is that they can offer a player that's hard for anyone else to match: Brown. He is coming off his best season as a pro and led the charge on one of the NBA's most resilient teams.
The only problem is that the Bucks would trade Antetokounmpo primarily to rebuild, which everyone knows is their best option at this point. There is always the possibility they could re-route Brown to a team that wants more win-now help instead of young talent to nurture. It's why Atlanta has come up as a potential third team.
At the same time, would Atlanta really want to do that when they can trade their young talent for Giannis instead of Brown? This all harps back to Amick's intel. If Giannis wants to Boston, there's definitely a way to make this work. The Celtics would give Antetokounmpo what he wants, but it will all depend on if he sees it that way.
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