Trade Favorite for Bucks's Giannis Has Shifted from Heat to Celtics

Another day, another update.

The back-and-forth rumors continue as the latest updates for Giannis Antetokounmpo have now shifted from the Miami Heat being the frontrunners to land The Greek Freak to the Boston Celtics.

According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line both Miami and Boston are the furthest along in their trade discussions:

“League sources say that the Heat remain in full-speed pursuit of Antetokounmpo but also indicate that the Boston Celtics have not yet abandoned hope of completing a trade for The Greek Freak. They are the two teams, sources say, that have engaged in the most advanced trade talks to date with the Bucks.”

Oct 28, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) drives to the basket defended by Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Not too long after Marc Stein released his latest intel piece, he gave an update for readers of his substack at 3:15 AM:

“One league source, after this story was published, told The Stein Line that the Celtics managed to emerge from the weekend “with a real shot” to win this race with a Jaylen Brown-centric offer, adding that Milwaukee has considered going ahead with a Boston swap even without a third-team facilitator.”

This is a fascinating development, but not surprising. Jaylen Brown’s trade value around the league not only will be higher than anything the Heat have to offer, but it helps the Bucks work directly with the Celtics instead of involving three to four teams like the Miami deal would.

Kyle Kuzma "Tax"?

Bill Simmons told Zach Lowe on his podcast Sunday evening that he would “still bet on Boston” as the likely team to land Antetokounmpo. He also mentioned that Kyle Kuzma could be involved as a “Giannis Tax” for the deal. This would make the deal larger than just a Antetokounmpo for Brown swap.

Marc Stein also added in his intel piece that the Milwaukee Bucks are believed to have interest in Celtics guard, Hugo Gonzalez. A new name added to the Giannis trade packages.

Marc Stein on what the Bucks are wanting from the Celtics:

Mar 2, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) watches the end of the second quarter from the bench against the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

“The Celtics, like Miami, would naturally be asked to add players and future draft compensation to the ultimate trade construction. Sources say that the Bucks have interest in Boston's prized young Spanish guard Hugo Gonzalez.”

This bit of reporting highlights how much juice Milwaukee is trying to squeeze out of every possible trade to make sure they get the biggest return for Antetokounmpo.

Boston doesn’t have the second lottery pick in this draft that Milwaukee desperately wants. Miami does (read out latest trade idea in the full first-round mock...a four-team trade for Giannis).

This is where a team like the Los Angeles Clippers could get involved for Brown since they have the No. 5 overall pick.

Milwaukee could also consider making the Miami deal, and packaging both No. 10 and No. 13 to move up to No. 5 if the Clippers would be willing to take that deal.

Minnesota Still in Play?

May 15, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) looks on against the San Antonio Spurs in the first half during game six of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

In other related Giannis news, according to Marc Stein, the Minnesota Timberwolves are out on acquiring Antetokounmpo as of Friday. The Wolves were informed, according to league sources and reported by Stein, that the Bucks want even more than the two teams discussed in the winter.

The Wolves were looking to pair Anthony Edwards with Giannis, and were even willing to part ways with Jaden McDaniels, as reported by Mike Scotto of Hoops Hype, but it appears these conversations are a thing of the past.

Portland Making a Late Push?

Apr 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) during the second half of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Don’t rule out Portland entirely, but don’t expect them to be the team who lands Giannis.

Stein shared that the Trail Blazers have show significant interest in trading for Giannis even without the assurance he would sign a long-term extension with the franchise. This would be a gutsy move by Portland, considering they have control of Milwaukee’s first-round picks from 2028-2030, and those picks could be used in other deals to land the next available superstar, and preferably one who isn’t on an expiring contract

League is on Hold Until a Giannis' Deal Happens

The league is patiently awaiting what will take place as this Giannis saga has held up a good amount of the trade discussions across the league.

Stein shared this in his latest reporting, “Multiple teams we've spoken to in recent days have said that other trade business around the league is definitely being held up as we wait to see if Milwaukee decides to make a direct two-team deal and then pursue subsequent trades with players it could theoretically acquire in the first trade.”

If the Bucks are believed to value picks in this year’s draft more than players or future picks, expect a deal to be done by Tuesday night. Then, the rest of the league can start to go about their business and the offseason can pick up in different ways.

Final Thoughts

This is the ‘Summer of Giannis’ for obvious reasons. He’s a Top 5 player in the NBA and players like him don’t get traded often. Stein assured readers that executives across the league expect a deal to be done this offseason and that a return to Milwaukee feels extremely unlikely.

Milwaukee was able to build a title team around Antetokounmpo in 2021, and that is the ultimate goal. Unfortunately, injuries and unfortunate circumstances have caused things to turn for the worse, and now the Bucks have to turn the page after not being able to win more than one championship during Giannis’ 13 years with the franchise.

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