Report: Celtics emerge as leading suitor if Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes available

The NBA season has ended with a championship for the New York Knicks, and attention is already shifting to summer trade talk around Giannis Antetokounmpo, who remains the hottest name on the market. According to Bill Simmons, Boston has moved aggressively into the chase. The popular sports journalist and Celtics fan said the Celtics submitted an offer for the star within the last week, adding, "I don't know what the offer was or who was in it, but they definitely got into the race, and that surprised me מאוד, because I thought they would sit on the sidelines."

U.S. reports say Boston is expected to put Jaylen Brown on the table for Milwaukee, while the Bucks could choose to move him to another team as they seek younger players and draft picks. Brown, an All-Star who averaged 28.7 points per game last season, is viewed as Boston's strongest possible trade asset for Antetokounmpo.

Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo said that if the Celtics do make Brown available, they would become the clear favorites to land Antetokounmpo. "I think Jaylen Brown is the best asset you can put on the table for the Bucks. In my view that puts Boston at the top of the list," he said. "The only question is how to find additional pieces to make the deal work. This is not a simple player-for-player trade. Boston is willing to trade anyone except Jayson Tatum. It doesn't necessarily mean they will get Giannis in the end, but from everything I've heard and the conversations I've had, the Celtics are definitely in the race."