All week, specifically Thursday and Friday, the Boston Celtics’ potential pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo has dominated the news cycle. New rumors have been surfacing from all over and the whole idea of Boston swinging for the fences with a Giannis trade is feeling realer by the hour.
As NBA insiders continue to pin the Celtics as the team with the best possible trade offer for the two-time MVP, it’s tough not to wonder why a deal hasn’t happened yet, right?
Like, if everyone knows that Jaylen Brown and whatever else the Celtics (and likely a third team) would put on the table would be the most lucrative return for the Milwaukee Bucks this should be an easy negotiation for all parties.
The Celtics likely want to be sure what their post-Giannis plan is before trading for him
Boston has consistently been reported to have not “seriously engaged” in any trade discussions with Milwaukee. There’s a real possibility that we’re all overlooking how complicated their decision-making process is. Said process almost certainly spans beyond adding the 2021 Finals MVP into the fold -- it may be more about what happens after he’s on board.
The Celtics would be foolish to pull the trigger on such a massive, all-in type of move without a proper plan. Any trade for Antetokounmpo, of course, comes with the understanding that he’d sign a four-year, $275 million extension to remain in Boston; a circumstance that The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Eric Nehm reported is thought to be the case around the league.
Making the most of the hypothetical early Giannis years is key when it comes to maximizing the championship window. Now, whether that means finding a stretch big who can man the frontcourt next to Antetokounmpo, refilling the depth on the roster after being forced to trade Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis last summer, or something else has yet to be seen.
Because Brown and Antetokounmpo’s contracts are interchangeable in terms of how they affect the Celtics’ cap and apron situation, they’d still likely have the full non-taxpayer MLE at their disposal when free agency rolls around this summer.
That’s $15 million and the appeal of playing next to Jayson Tatum and Giannis to dangle during those negotiations. Boston can still add talent along the fringes without having to shake up the rest of their roster too much, if that is the route they’d like to take.
They could instead elect to get creative with supplementary trades to better shape the roster to fit next to the hypothetical pair of stars, too.
Once the Celtics formulate a concrete plan to maximize their return on whatever Giannis trade is out there, then you’d have to imagine they’ll be ready to get the ball rolling. Until then, or perhaps for eternity if they decide not to do it, we’re all just left wondering what things could look like at TD Garden this fall.
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