masslive
The Boston Celtics made a creative push to strengthen their offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of the NBA Draft, as detailed in a recent ESPN report. Boston had previously offered Jaylen Brown and two first-round selections to the Milwaukee Bucks for the former MVP, but Milwaukee ultimately traded the star forward to the Miami Heat on June 22. The Heat package included Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kelel Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, four draft picks, and a pick swap.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Boston was reluctant to include additional draft capital or young prospects such as Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman in its initial offer. However, a follow-up report from Anthony Slater of ESPN.com revealed that the Celtics attempted to turn Brown into a more enticing asset for the Bucks by engaging the Golden State Warriors in a three-team trade.
Key Analysis
The proposed deal would have sent Brown to the Warriors in exchange for Jimmy Butler, four first-round picks, and a first-round pick swap. Boston would then have used Butler's expiring contract and the acquired picks to present Milwaukee with a pick-heavy offer for Antetokounmpo. However, the Warriors declined the proposal, choosing to retain their picks—including the No. 11 selection in the 2026 NBA Draft, which became Yaxel Lendeborg.
Unable to find a third team that offered sufficient value for Brown, the Bucks ultimately accepted Miami's offer, which combined players and future draft capital. After the Antetokounmpo deal fell through, the Celtics traded Brown on July 1 to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks, following a league-wide canvass for offers.
Originally reported by masslive.