Boston Celtics

"It would mean changing the entire structure of the way the Celtics play basketball."

Trade talks involving Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo are intensifying, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

The Celtics have frequently been mentioned as one of the teams in the mix to land the two-time MVP, but such a trade would come with drawbacks along with the positives.

Windhorst laid out two of the potential issues during an appearance on “Get Up!”

“In recent days we have seen that the Boston Celtics have shown some interest there, but a Celtics offer has a stumbling block. No. 1, you’d be potentially breaking up [Jayson Tatum] and Jaylen Brown. No. 2, it would mean changing the entire structure of the way the Celtics play basketball.”

Brown and Tatum have made six of the last 10 Eastern Conference Finals and won a title together in 2024. They have an established track record of postseason success. The Celtics have had a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference every year since 2022.

The Celtics have also built their offensive identity around a high volume of 3-point shooting. They led the league in 3-point attempts during the playoffs, shooting 46.1 per game which accounted for 52.5 percent of their total shot attempts.

They also led the league in 3-point attempts during two of the past three regular-seasons.

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said during his end of the year press conference that everyone in the organization would prefer dunks over threes. He said the team needs to make personnel changes to get players who can make more of an impact at the rim.

The Celtics struggled to get quality offensive looks during the first-round series loss to Philadelphia, Stevens said.

Antetokounmpo is one of the league’s premier inside scorers, and he has averaged fewer than two 3-point attempts per game in each of the last three seasons. He led the league in points in the point per game last season.

Windhorst said Antetokounmpo is interested in joining the Miami Heat. The Heat and Bucks have been talking for months, he said, but no deal has been reached yet. The Bucks plan to make a decision ahead of next week’s NBA draft.

“The league believes that this is finally going to happen,” Windhorst said. “I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that he could still re-sign with the Bucks, but talks have intensified over the last 7-10 days. He has focused on wanting to be a member of the Miami Heat and because he’s only got one year left on his contract, he’s got some control over that.”