The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are the last two teams standing in negotiations for Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, ESPN insider Shams Charania said Monday on the network’s “Get Up.” A trade is expected to be finalized before the NBA Draft begins Tuesday night.
According to Charania, Milwaukee is focused on two-team frameworks with Boston and Miami, though additional clubs could be folded in later. Antetokounmpo has reportedly identified both destinations as places where he would sign an extension.
Boston’s proposal is centered on All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown, who averaged a career-best 28.7 points this season. Brown is owed roughly $183 million over the next three years and becomes eligible this summer for a two-year extension worth up to $142 million. Milwaukee could either keep the 27-year-old or flip him elsewhere if the Celtics’ offer is accepted.
Miami’s package is described as more cost-controlled. It includes guard Tyler Herro, rookie-scale players Kelel Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr., and unspecified draft compensation. Herro has a $33 million expiring contract and will be extension-eligible in the offseason; Jaquez is also nearing extension talks.
Team decision-makers in Milwaukee are currently divided on which proposal to take, Jake Fischer of “The Stein Line” reported. An associate of Antetokounmpo told the Miami Herald that the two-time MVP would be satisfied with either landing spot and has already informed at least one Western Conference club that he would not sign long term there.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst added that Miami recognizes it lacks a single trade chip on par with Brown and is exploring three- and four-team scenarios to strengthen its bid. The Heat’s best individual asset, Windhorst noted, is the 13th overall pick in Tuesday’s draft.
The NBA Draft is scheduled to start Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, giving the Bucks a narrow window to choose between two dramatically different paths for their franchise cornerstone.
Source: HoopsRumors
