The Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes appear to be down to the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, with the former seemingly jumping in front. Per ESPN's Brian Windhorst on Get Up, Giannis is focused on joining the Heat. If the Celtics want to get back in this race, their best bet would be finding a suitor for Jaylen Brown who can offer Milwaukee one of the top picks in this draft.
If the Celtics come back with a rousing offer, perhaps the Bucks can persuade their star to think harder about joining Boston over Miami.
Celtics need help in a Giannis trade
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported recently that the Bucks are calling around the league in search of a pick higher than their own in the coming draft. Miami currently has the 13th pick, three down from the Bucks' 10th. If the Celtics want to make a strong offer to Milwaukee, trying to rope in a team with any of the top nine picks would be justifiable.
If Milwaukee does move forward with trading Giannis to Miami, the Bucks will assuredly receive the Heat’s No. 13 pick along with other draft capital.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 12, 2026
League sources say Milwaukee is also calling rival teams in search of a third top-20 pick, and potentially another pick in the… https://t.co/Rnk5biAEE9
Two suitors who would make sense are the LA Clippers and Atlanta Hawks. The Clippers hold the fifth pick, while the Hawks sit eighth. If either team has any interest in Boston's Jaylen Brown, the former NBA Finals MVP, perhaps they would throw that pick on the table for him in a win-now move rather than betting on the presumed pick growing into a contributor.
One of those picks, along with everything else Boston could send for Giannis, could entice Milwaukee enough to catch the Bucks' attention.
Heat still in the lead, but Boston is close
This feels like a two-man race at this point. Miami and Boston both have interesting packages to offer the Milwaukee Bucks, but the question is which can offer better draft capital. Based on Fischer's report, which also mentioned that the Bucks are looking to have as many as three first-round selections in this draft, the team with a better package involving picks may win this race.
Unless the Celtics convince someone to cough up their high pick, the Heat are in the driver's seat, especially if Giannis is solely focused on heading to South Beach. Miami needs to hope that Giannis puts his foot down and tells the Bucks it's Heat or bust. Windhorst's latest reporting is the closest indication that he is doing so, but that door is still cracked open.
There are still several days to go until the NBA Draft—which is when Milwaukee would like to get this all sorted by—so the rumors won't stop anytime soon.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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