Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors: Celtics may be open to deal, Bucks trying to get final offers

· Yahoo Sports

Ten days.

If the Milwaukee Bucks are going to stick to co-owner Jimmy Haslam’s timeline and work out for Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future by the NBA Draft, we are going to see action in the next 10 days. Maybe 11 if the deal falls the day of the draft, but most likely it happens a day or two before. As we near the deadline, here is the latest

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Celtics “in on” Antetokounmpo

Make no mistake, the Miami Heat are still considered the clear frontrunners to land Giannis Antetokounmpo. If you put trust in such things, it's worth noting that Tyler Herro — one of the primary players who would head to Milwaukee in any deal — has unfollowed the Heat on social media.

That said, there are more and more reports that the Boston Celtics are interested. The latest is this from Kevin O’Connor at Yahoo Sports on his podcast (hat tip Bleacher Report).

"I have heard Boston is shopping people around a lot right now. That Boston is making calls, Boston is open to trading anybody besides Jayson Tatum. And that doesn't necessarily mean they land Giannis at the end of the day but I do believe, based off all the conversations I've had, is that the Celtics are in on Giannis. And if they are making a push on him and that this seems to be currently a two-team race with Milwaukee to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo."

Everyone talking about Boston is using a lot of qualifiers — "if they are making a push" — so the question becomes how much of this is smoke and how much is fire? Is Milwaukee trying to drum up a bidding war or flush out other suitors besides Miami? Or, is Boston really interested? Is Jalen Brown in play to be traded coming off an All-NBA season where he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game? If the Celtics are in, they pose a serious challenge to the Heat as frontrunners.

Minnesota? Orlando? Bucks want clarity

When any trade deadline gets close, we start to see the real offers from teams. What teams are serious, which are not, and what is genuinely on the table.

To this point in the summer, the market outside of Miami for Antetokounmpo has been softer than expected. With the deadline nearing, the Bucks are looking for that from teams on the fringes of the conversations, such as Orlando and Minnesota, reports Sam Amick and Eric Nehm at The Athletic.

Per league and team sources, the Bucks appear to be seeking clarity from several suitors as to what they would actually be willing to offer before making a final decision. The Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic, the sources say, are known to be among them. The Portland Trail Blazers are known to have interest in trading for Antetokounmpo, but it appears more likely — if the Bucks have their way — that they would be involved as a third-team as a way for Milwaukee to regain control of some of the picks they lost in the Damian Lillard trade in 2023.

Minnesota is not likely because, unless Antetokounmpo changes his stance, he does not want to go West (don't forget, he has leverage in these talks because he only has one more guaranteed year on his contract and teams trading for Antetokounmpo will want him to sign an extension, he can tell them he will not).

That said, the Bucks may like what the Timberwolves can offer, The Athletic reports. The Bucks are eying Naz Reid, Terrence Shannon Jr. and two first-round picks. The sticking point is two-way forward Jaden McDaniels — the Bucks want him, and the Timberwolves say he is not available. All of this is moot if Antetokounmpo doesn't want to go West, even to a team with Anthony Edwards.

Orlando is interesting, a team on the rise in the East, but with questions about whether they have a true No. 1 shot creator and bucket getter who can get them a ring. The Magic are expected to let new coach Sean Sweeney try to figure out the Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner puzzle rather than blow it up for Antetokounmpo or anyone else, league sources told NBC Sports. However, if they decide to get in the mix, they can put together an impressive offer.

Teams don’t fully trust Bucks

At the February trade deadline, Bucks general manager Jon Horst listened to trade offers for Antetokounmpo for the first time. However, other teams ultimately felt he was just gauging the market; he wasn't serious about making a deal, league sources told NBC Sports at the time. That widely held belief is an issue for the Bucks now, Amick and Nehm report at The Athletic.

Yet there is, the sources say, a sense of distrust from some teams because of how the Bucks handled trade discussions around Antetokounmpo at the deadline... It was, in the eyes of some, a fact-finding mission that was intended to set the stage for the summer to come. As such, sources say some teams are imploring the Bucks to come to them with all the final details of an offer that they would accept rather than going back and forth. The hope, of course, is that taking that tact would minimize the locker-room impact of the rumor mill.

Good luck with slowing the rumor mill.

Other Antetokounmpo trade notes

• Keep this thought from friend-of-the-site Keith Smith in mind on how the Antetokounmpo trade to Miami would ultimately be structured.

• If you're looking for hints on social media about what Antetokounmpo is going to do...

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