The NBA is waiting to see if the Milwaukee Bucks will trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, and, more importantly, which team it will be to. Right now, though, the focus is on whether the Celtics will actually make Jaylen Brown available. Marc Stein of The Stein Line offered this insight (subscription required) on Friday afternoon:
One of the loudest questions circulating throughout the league at the moment: Miami might still be widely regarded as the most likely destination for Antetokounmpo … but what sort of market is going to form for Jaylen Brown to join the trade construction as a third team if the Bucks and Celtics advance to a serious stage in Giannis-to-Boston talks?
Stein listed Portland, Houston, and Atlanta as teams "routinely mentioned as suitors" for Brown, but noted how the $183 million and three years remaining on his contract can complicate a trade.
Will the Celtics make Jaylen Brown available?
It wouldn't make sense for Milwaukee to land Brown in a trade, but the Bucks could still use his inclusion to their advantage by bringing in a third team and getting more in return than they would if they sent Antetokounmpo to the Heat in a one-on-one deal.
Boston joining the mix by making Brown available would benefit Milwaukee regardless, especially if Portland led the charge by pushing to land him. The Bucks would like to regain some control over the picks they sent to the Trail Blazers in the 2023 Damian Lillard trade, and that'd be the best way to do so.
Antetokounmpo's interest in joining the Celtics is real, as is his interest in the Heat. However, the difference is not only that Milwaukee could get more from Boston, but it would offer Giannis a better shot at winning a title. We know that he is reportedly concerned about Miami's depth after a trade and whether the team could win a championship.
As Stein noted, the Heat are still regarded as the most likely destination for Antetokounmpo, but that's because the Celtics haven't officially cast their hat into the ring. It says a lot that Boston hasn't refuted its interest in Giannis; instead, it feels like it's become more of a possibility, with chatter picking up over the past day.
There are 11 days until the first day of the draft, and the Bucks want a trade to happen before then. They'd like for there to be more than just one team strongly pursuing him, and that could end up being the case with the Celtics, but only if they're ready to part with Brown.
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