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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 02: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks works out before the game against the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum on March 02, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

The Boston Celtics appear to be one of two teams closing in on a potential trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. According to multiple reports, Boston and the Miami Heat are joint front-runners to get a deal over the line.

However, former NBA big man DeMarcus Cousins believes the Celtics should reconsider their pursuit of the two-time MVP. His comments came via a June 22 episode of Fan Duel TV’s “Run It Back.”

“It’s a little weird to me,” Cousins said of Boston’s interest in Giannis. “And the reason I say that is…they have more of a championship window with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum… It kind of shortens up their championship window… Giannis is about to be 31 years old coming up. So obviously, his prime is coming to a close.”

Cousins continued.

“It doesn’t quite make sense when, with the way they’re built now, they’re still a championship-contending team. Obviously, Giannis is an extreme talent. He’s going to make any team he joins better. But as far as…figuring out how long of a championship window the Celtics are looking for, I don’t quite understand why they would go all in.”

Boston is rumored to be floating Jaylen Brown in trade talks for Giannis. Brad Stevens will likely need to add a young player, most likely Hugo Gonzalez, and draft picks in order to get a deal over the line.

Celtics May Have To Trade Brown Regardless

This isn’t the first time that Jaylen Brown has been floated in trade talks. In fact, it’s happened multiple times throughout his tenure with the Celtics, most recently regarding Kevin Durant.

According to an Eastern Conference executive who spoke with Heavy on Sports’ Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, Boston may need to move on from Brown, regardless of whether they’re successful in their pursuit of Giannis.

“The Celtics might have gone down far enough on the road of trading Jaylen Brown now that there’s no going back,” the Eastern Conference exec said. “I don’t know that you can put the toothpaste back in the tube there. … They have had him in trade talks before and some point, the player gets tired of that. Jaylen has given them the benefit of the doubt in the past. This might not be easy to bounce back from.”

Brown is coming off the best season of his career. His trade value will likely never be higher than it is right now. As such, if this is the summer the Celtics do part ways with Brown, they should receive a sizeable return.

Giannis Would Make The Celtics Better

There’s no denying that Brown is an elite talent. However, Giannis is a top-five player in the NBA when healthy. Pairing him with Jayson Tatum would immediately give Boston a one-two-punch that would arguably be the best in the NBA.

Furthermore, Giannis’ ability to pressure the rim, find shooters on kick-outs, and operate as a roamer on defense would fit perfectly into Joe Mazzulla’s system.

Parting with a homegrown star such as Brown is never easy. However, when the opportunity to add a generational talent arises, you have to do whatever it takes to try and get a deal over the line.