Can Celtics Get Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Done Without Including Jaylen Brown?

Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks have slowed in recent weeks, with the Milwaukee Bucks hanging around in the playoff race because of the Eastern Conference's lack of depth. Milwaukee's next four opponents appear ticketed for the NBA Draft lottery, so things could get better for the Bucks quickly. Especially with Antetokounmpo's recent return.

How long will Giannis accept battling for an NBA Play-In spot, though? At some point, the losing will wear thin. ESPN's Shams Charania has already spoiled his plot to find a new home. We're all waiting on the shoe to drop and that notification to read Antetokounmpo is a "___."

Could the Boston Celtics fill that blank space? Could Brad Stevens pull it off without including Jaylen Brown?

Derrick White and Payton Pritchard Have Become Elite Trade Chips

Boston's front office has avoided tearing the whole thing down after Jayson Tatum's Achilles tendon tear. That's allowed Brown to ascend to elite status, while Derrick White and Payton Pritchard have become complementary stars next to him.

The latter two have improved enough to be a great base for an Antetokounmpo trade. Add Anfernee Simons' expiring into the mix, then add more minimum deals on the Bucks' side, and the money works.

Stevens would likely need to cede young players like Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez, plus plenty of draft capital.

Is all that enough to land the former Finals MVP, though? And would Stevens even want to give up that much cheap young talent?

Bucks Likely Want to Offload Bad Contracts in Giannis Trade

Where things get tricky is the competition Boston will face in the Giannis sweepstakes. Certain suitors could offer further financial relief, taking on albatrosses like Bobby Portis Jr. and Kyle Kuzma to offer Milwaukee a cleaner cap sheet.

The Bucks front office could also land players like Austin Reaves, Karl-Anthony Towns, or Draymond Green. White and Pritchard clearly make more sense for a team that doesn't know if it wants to rebuild or stay contending, since they've proven they can keep a team afloat on smaller contracts. Still, Milwaukee may be looking for a big name to salvage the narrative after having to offload the greatest franchise pillar in their modern history.

The Celtics are a long shot to land Antetokounmpo, even if they include Brown in the deal. Without him? There's virtually no chance of a deal actually happening.

Boston is probably better off with depth and familiarity than rocking the boat with another high-usage superstar anyway.