NBA insider tabs Celtics as ‘stealth’ team in a potential Giannis trade

"I think we have to be ready for just about anything with Boston.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo could be a top trade chip this summer. Erin Clark/Globe Staff

May 4, 2026 | 6:22 PM

2 minutes to read

Could the Boston Celtics look to shake things up after a disheartening collapse in the first round of the playoffs?

As Brad Stevens and Boston’s top brass look to pick up the pieces after the Celtics let a 3-1 series lead slip through their grasp against the Sixers, there are several offseason options on the table.

A full season of a healthy Jayson Tatum should do wonders for Boston, especially if Stevens opts for minimal upgrades and decides to run it back with a majority of the roster intact — eliminating repeater tax penalties in the process.

But if the Celtics are trying to overhaul their core and pair Tatum with another star talent, could Boston be a viable trade suitor for Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo?

Speaking on Sirius XM’s “Deals and Dunks” on Monday, NBA insider Marc Stein tabbed the Celtics as a team that could be in the running for the two-time MVP if the Bucks opt to move him after a disappointing 2025-26 season.

“Because they’ve created this [cap] flexibility for themselves when it looked like it was gonna be really hard to do so — I feel like they’re gonna be able to make moves,” Stein said of the Celtics. “There will inevitably be people who bring back the, ‘Do they break up Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown’ — like, that storyline will probably come back.

“There have been some rumblings at various points during the season that the Celtics could be a stealth Giannis team and a team that potentially interests Giannis. So let’s keep our eye on the Celtics. We know Brad Stevens is not afraid to make big moves and take big swings. So I think we have to be ready for just about anything with Boston.”

It would require a steep cost to pry Giannis out of Milwaukee, who is signed for the 2026-27 season and also has a player option for 2027-28 for a $62.7 million cap hit. In order to make the money work, Boston would either have to get very creative in any deal — or trade Brown as primary return to the rebuilding Bucks (who could flip him to another team for additional assets).

Antetokounmpo’s resume speaks for itself as one of the most dominant players of his generation — leading the Bucks to a title in 2021 while earning 10 All-Star nods and four Defensive First Team honors.

During a lost season in Milwaukee in 2025-26, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game over 36 games.

But beyond the sizable package Boston would need to assemble in any deal, Antetokounmpo’s age might be a concern, as he’ll turn 32 years old in December.

As intriguing as it might be to pair Tatum next to another superstar talent in Antetokounmpo, there is also some unknown over how Joe Mazzulla would utilize Antetokounmpo in his system — as well as how both Tatum and Antetokounmpo would co-exist on the floor as Boston’s top options.

Still, Stein’s comments reflect that Stevens and Co. may leave no stone unturned this summer when it comes to improving a roster that fell well short of expectations in the playoffs.