The Miami Heat appear to have emerged as the favorites to sign Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks.
However, there seems to be some concern at the Heat’s front office that long-time rivals, the Boston Celtics, could swoop in at the last second and win the race for the Bucks superstar.
Could Eastern Conference Giant Rival Miami Heat For Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade?
The long-running Antetokounmpo trade saga could finally come to an end this month, with the Bucks looking to find a solution before the NBA Draft on June 23. The Heat were leading the race to sign the 31-year-old at the trade deadline in February, and are at the front of the queue once again this offseason.
However, NBA insider Jake Fischer has revealed that there is “genuine concern” at Miami that the Celtics could use their various assets to land Antetokounmpo. Fischer revealed in his latest Substack post that Antetokounmpo indeed has interest in joining the Celtics, much as he has long expressed interest in moving to Miami.
“Rival teams, furthermore, continue to point to Boston’s various assets as illustrating its ability to become a factor here… This much is clear: Boston is believed to be a potential suitor that genuinely concerns Miami,” he wrote on “The Stein Line.”
Facilitating a trade for Antetokounmpo would likely require the Celtics to part with Jaylen Brown. Speculation continues to persist surrounding Brown’s future, and the guard shared a cryptic post on X on Thursday.
“The neighbors rice always smells better,” he wrote.
The neighbors rice always smells better
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) June 11, 2026
Brown has three years left on his current contract with the Celtics and is coming off an impressive season, averaging a career-high 28.7 points per game. He is owed $57 million next season. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo will earn $58.4 million next season, so a trade would certainly make sense from salary-matching purposes.
The Heat’s trade package for Antetokounmpo will likely center around Tyler Herro, as well as other young players and draft capital.
Getting a proven superstar like Brown over Herro could prove to be more enticing for the Bucks. The Celtics also have a deeper and well-established roster than the Heat, which could tilt the odds of landing Antetokounmpo in their favor.
The Antetokounmpo saga has been one of the NBA’s biggest talking points in recent months. As we inch closer towards the NBA Draft, it will be interesting to see which team can finally get a deal over the line to land one of the most talented forwards the league has ever seen.
