Celtics Facing ‘Stumbling Blocks' in Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Talks

With Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo at the center of trade rumors, the Boston Celtics have jumped into the picture.

The Celtics have been reportedly "in" on an Antetokounmpo deal, and things are starting to pick up quickly with the 2026 NBA Draft around the corner.

At this rate, it figures to be either the Celtics or Miami Heat who land Antetokounmpo, although anything can happen if another team comes in and gives Milwaukee a must-take offer.

As far as the Celtics' pursuit goes, however, there are a few stumbling blocks, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

"There are two other stumbling blocks for a Celtics deal:

1. It would potentially require the team to break up the successful duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Regardless of how quiet a team keeps its talks, there's always fallout with the players involved in them.

2. It would require the Celtics to completely overhaul how they play."

Breaking up the Brown-Tatum duo would be a tough pill to swallow, but if it lands Antetokounmpo, it might be worth it for Boston.

The second point is that head coach Joe Mazzulla would need to reinvent the style of play, as Antetokounmpo is a very unique player in his skillset, although in a good way.

Those are questions Boston needs to answer.

Can the Celtics Get This Over the Finish Line?

What Boston might offer Milwaukee to land Antetokounmpo remains to be seen, although Bill Simmons of The Ringer said he was informed that the Celtics already made an offer over the weekend.

"From what I heard, they made an offer in the past week, a couple days before I mentioned it on Thursday," Simmons said, via Asher Klein of NBC Boston.

Any Celtics trade would be costly, and Basketnews compiled one proposed trade package involving the Celtics, Bucks and the Portland Trail Blazers as the third team.

Here's what it looked like:

Boston Celtics receive:

• Giannis Antetokounmpo

Portland Trail Blazers receive:

• Jaylen Brown

Milwaukee Bucks receive:

• Scoot Henderson
• Shaedon Sharpe
• Jerami Grant
• No. 27 overall pick
• 2028 pick swap
• Return of their 2029 first-round pick
• 2030 pick swap

That would be a high price to pay for the Celtics, but it would land them Antetokounmpo alongside Tatum.

The NBA Draft begins on June 23, so there should be some sort of clarity by the time the Washington Wizards are on the clock at No. 1 overall.

Related: NBA Insider Believes Celtics Are ‘In' On Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Talks

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 8:21 AM.