Could the Celtics make a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo?

Many big-name players will be shipped to new destinations during the 2025 offseason, including some Celtics. However, the most notable player that could be moved in the summer is All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has reportedly been considering requesting a trade.

Presumably, the Celtics - who must offload players in the interest of getting under the NBA second apron and luxury tax - would not be interest in acquiring a player who $175 million over the next three seasons.

However, Brian Windhorst of ESPN thinks Boston could actually be a player in the Giannis sweepstakes:

"The move for Giannis, if he has control, is to go to the East," Windhorst said on Thursday (via "Get Up"). "I think you have to look at the teams that could make a trade for Giannis that the Bucks would accept, and on the other side of the trade, would have a contending team. So, Boston would be on that list."

To reiterate, the Celtics will in all likelihood be major players in the NBA trade market during the offseason, but all indications would suggest they'd be 'sellers' rather than 'buyers.' But, a move for Giannis would be a win now type move.

Also, there are a few obvious questions. Namely, who would they trade? The obvious choice - and frankly, likely the only option - is Jaylen Brown. Yet, Brown for Antetokounmpo in a one-for-one trade would seemingly be a divergence from the Celtics' assumed process of retooling.

For one, it doesn't change the money problem, and in theory, they would only move Brown to rid themselves of his $53.1 million 2025-26 cap hit (via Spotrac). Giannis, who is owned $1 million more, would not help them with their cap situation. Furthermore, dealing Brown for Antetokounmpo makes Boston older, and with Jayson Tatum likely sidelined for 2025-26, the already slim window to win again becomes smaller.

So, it seems incredibly unlikely that the Celtics will trade for Antetokounmpo. Maybe, there is another avenue that doesn't include dealing Brown that could bring him to Boston, but it's hard to imagine Milwaukee would accept anything less. Regardless, the Celtics will still make moves in the offseason. They may not yield Giannis, but there will be many unfamiliar faces in green next season.

Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.