A lot of Boston Celtics fans may be upset that the team failed to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo (and even more so that he ultimately got traded to the Miami Heat of all teams). But even if it might not seem like it right now, the Celtics dodged a bullet, and fans should be relieved it didn't go down.
A Celtics-Giannis trade would have been way too risky
Antetokounmpo is still a top-tier player in the NBA, and he would have fixed a ton of Boston's problems (his elite paint presence on both sides of the ball, his ability to get to the basket with ease, and his defensive versatility). However, he also has maybe three years of elite basketball play left in him.
The two-time MVP is turning 32 years old in December and already has a growing injury problem (he played just 36 games last season and missed the 2024 playoffs due to a calf strain). He is also eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million contract extension in October. (Maybe I'm overthinking things, but I don't like the prospect of paying a 36-year-old Antetokounmpo around $70 million per season.)
Yes, the Celtics need to make some big changes this offseason, but trading for the former Milwaukee Bucks star wasn't the answer. He would greatly raise the team's immediate championship window, but there is a serious chance this move was going to backfire in the long run (especially if it also includes Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman on top of Jaylen Brown and however many first-round picks).
The idea of pairing Antetokounmpo alongside Jayson Tatum is fun now (or was fun, I guess), but it wouldn't have been if he only played 50 games next season, were out for the playoffs entirely, and gutted the rest of Boston's depth because of the trade.
The Celtics can compete without Giannis Antetokounmpo
Boston didn't need Antetokounmpo to compete for a championship next season. Assuming Brown stays (which actually may be 50/50 at this point), the Celtics still have their championship-winning duo. They just need to optimize the rest of the roster around them.
It remains to be seen where the team goes from here, but they already know what they need to address. They need another go-to bench scorer (a reunion with Anfernee Simons, perhaps?), and a new starting center (i.e., Rudy Gobert, Robert Williams III, Myles Turner, Wendell Carter Jr., someone in this draft, etc.)
The Celtics need to pull a play out of their 2023 playbook (Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday), not their 2007 one (Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen). They don't need to drastically shake up the core and make league-changing moves. They need to focus on building depth and maximizing the potential of their young stars.
It's worked before. Surely, it can work again.
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