In a development that is almost guaranteed to get a mixed bag of emotions from Boston Celtics fans (what else is new?), it seems, as things stand, a trade for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo isn't in the cards.
During a recent one-on-one with CLNS' Bobby Manning, Brian Windhorst of ESPN said that he hasn't heard anything about Antetokounmpo having the Celtics on his "list" or being "prepared to sign" a contract extension with the team if he were to be traded there.
"I have not heard that Boston is on Giannis's list. I have not heard that Giannis is prepared to sign the extension with Boston," Windhorst said.
"Just because I haven't heard doesn't mean it's not true. But until those two things are true, I don't think it's really something that's in the world of reality."
Celtics shouldn't pursue a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade anyway
It's important to remember that two things can be true at once, and that especially applies here: 1) Antetokounmpo is one of the best players in the NBA and would immediately raise the Celtics' ceiling, and 2) trading for him is a huge risk that is not worth taking, especially considering that trading Jaylen Brown is a necessity to make a deal work.
For every reason to trade for the two-time MVP (top-five player in the NBA, better fit alongside Jayson Tatum than Brown is, blocks other teams - New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, etc. - from acquiring him and becoming a juggernaut), there's a reason or two not to trade for him (growing injury problems, turns 32 years old in December, can't shoot and relies on athleticism, lowers Boston's ceiling long-term, and is eligible for a four-year, $275 contract extension in October).
And, yes, I get it. This Celtics team is in need of some big changes after their first-round collapse against the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs this year. They're not legitimate title contenders anymore, and their team isn't good enough to compete with teams like the Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder (or 76ers, apparently) as currently constructed. Trading for Antetokounmpo would likely bring them right back to title contention.
But it's also an unnecessary risk. We already know Tatum and Brown can win a ring together. They've done it before, and they're both just entering their primes now. They (and the fans) deserve to see it through.
A duo of Tatum and Brown can be seriously competitive for at least another five to six years. A duo of Tatum and Antetokounmpo can be seriously competitive for maybe three.
The real answer for Boston is to find the right pieces to support its core, not break it up (see: 2023 acquisitions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday... and Oshae Brissett). Whether it will find those pieces this summer or not remains to be seen, but it's at least a much better solution than trading everything you have and then some to land someone who could eventually go down as "Worst Contracts Given in Boston Sports History".
And trust me, that's saying something.
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