The Boston Celtics have been linked with a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo since being eliminated in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
There’s a belief that Giannis could expedite Boston’s return to the upper echelon of the NBA. However, the Celtics won’t be the only team interested in acquiring Giannis this summer. That is, assuming he becomes available on the trade market.
According to Hardwood Houdini’s Matt John, there are three other teams that will provide stern competition for the two-time MVP. Those teams are the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves.
John believes Minnesota could be Boston’s biggest rival should both teams engage in a pursuit of Giannis.
“The Timberwolves have been a team that has been quite close to the level of a title contender, but have never quite gotten there. Antetokounmpo would push them up higher depending on who they would send in a trade,” John explained. “In all honesty, none of these teams compete with the Celtics that much when someone like Jaylen Brown could be on the table, but that could be precisely why Boston may be hesitant to pull the trigger on a deal.”
It’s still unclear whether the Celtics will genuinely enter the race to acquire Giannis. If they do, though, they will certainly have some stern compeition on their hands.
Evan Turner Warns Celtics Of Trading For Giannis
During a recent conversation with Heavy on Sports, former Celtics forward Evan Turner explained why Boston should avoid a move for Giannis.
“I don’t think that’s needed whatsoever,” Turner said of a potential Brown for Giannis swap. “For one, Jaylen Brown, I think for the next three or four years, I like Jaylen Brown’s availability and who he’s going to be over Giannis. Offensively, just down the stretch in the playoffs, I believe Jaylen might be able to score better.”
Turner continued.
“ No disrespect to Giannis. Another thing with Giannis is that when you have him on your team, you have to take on the identity of Giannis. And we go back and look at the 2022 finals when they won, it’s like those are all shooters. That was an anomaly. I don’t know if that brand of basketball is going to work when one man’s trying to carry you up that hill.”
The Celtics Have Contract Negotiations This Summer
If the Celtics do trade for Giannis, they would need to immediately pivot to negotiating a contract extension. He’s in the final guaranteed year of his current contract. There’s a player option in his deal for next season. Boston would need to tie him down or risk losing him next summer.
However, if Boston opts to continue moving forward with the duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, Stevens will need to decide whether to give Brown a two-year $141.9 million extension. Players rarely receive extensions to supermax contracts, especially so many years in advance.
Either way, Stevens has some tough and likely expensive decisions to make. First and foremost will be whether to pursue Giannis in the first place. Or, whether to continue building around Tatum and Brown.
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