Because of the Boston Celtics' continued success over the first few years of the 2020s, the notion of trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo wouldn't have been necessarily shot down, but it wouldn't have felt necessary to mess with something that was working. Now, after two consecutive humiliating playoff exits, a Giannis trade feels necessary for Boston.
However, the Milwaukee Bucks won't trade the two-time MVP just because. Even if it has made sense for some time now, they will demand as much as they can for justifiable reasons. It's why if Boston is serious about Antetokounmpo, dangling Jaylen Brown is their best bet to get a deal done.
The one conundrum is that the Bucks wouldn't want someone like Jaylen Brown, as they would only trade Giannis to kickstart a rebuild. That factors into Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor's proposed blockbuster trade between the Celtics, Bucks, and Atlanta Hawks.
Celtics get: Antetokounmpo
Hawks get: Brown
Bucks get: Jonathan Kuminga, Corey Kispert, Zaccharie Risacher, boatload of picks
A big X-factor in a trade like this would be where the Hawks finish in the lottery. For anyone who doesn't know, thanks to the trade they made with New Orleans last year, the Hawks have the seventh-best odds at the No. 1 pick in the loaded draft. Which pick they get in the lottery could determine how serious the Bucks are about a trade and whether the Hawks would be willing to dangle it.
A deal like this would also depend on what Giannis wants
For what it's worth, a betting man would suggest that Atlanta would prefer Antetokounmpo over Brown for obvious reasons. However, what could give Boston the inside track is if the two-time MVP lets the Bucks know that he would re-sign with the Celtics but not the Hawks. Then the Hawks would probably be okay with Brown as their entire return package.
Plus, Brown would probably be okay with going back to his hometown where he gets to show out for a team that has an exciting future. No one is advocating for Boston to trade Brown at all costs. In fact, the only way the Celtics would think about it is if they get someone who is better and raises their ceiling.
Antetokounmpo is one of the few players that would do that. For example, if the Celtics were in on Kevin Durant, they would do everything in their power to get him without dangling Brown. If they were, it would be fair to argue that doing such a swap would be a lateral move.
To think there's a possiblity they could get their hands on Durant and Antetokounmpo is definitely tantalizing, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves. The Celtics fanbase would hate to see someone like Brown go, but if it were for Antetokounmpo, they would understand.
If the Celtics were still in these playoffs, we wouldn't have be having this conversation, but because of how badly they humiliated themselves, this should absolutely be on the table.
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