Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens took his biggest swing yet since stepping into the organization’s front office five years ago — and whiffed.
In the late hours of Monday night, Giannis Antetokounmpo officially joined the Miami Heat and ended an ongoing bidding war this offseason with Boston’s Eastern Conference foe. The Milwaukee Bucks, in return, landed a haul from South Beach that included Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round
picks, a pick swap, and a second-round selection.
Stevens and the Celtics, although described as aggressive in their pursuit of bringing the Greek Freak to Boston, fell short.
The Celtics and Heat were the two premier landing spots said to have Antetokounmpo’s commitment to sign an extension. But in the final days, as the Bucks considered bids from both franchises, Stevens and company weren’t willing to go the extra mile to provide Milwaukee a bundle that aligned with their direction in moving on from the two-time league MVP.
Here’s what Boston offered Milwaukee at the negotiating table, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania:
- Jaylen Brown
- Two unprotected first-round draft picks
The Bucks, building for the future without Giannis, wanted to dig deeper into Boston’s bench with youngsters such as Hugo González and Baylor Scheierman catching Milwaukee’s interest, Charania reported. Brown, with three years left on his current contract and extension eligible in July, wasn’t enough to sway Milwaukee’s front office or ownership after pushing Miami to the limit.
González, selected in the first round of last year’s draft, blossomed into a steal after being taken by Boston at No. 28. Scheierman, drafted 30th overall two years ago, also became a crucial depth piece after the pair inherited a minutes increase while the Celtics turned their first 62 games without Jayson Tatum into an unforeseen run at securing the No. 2 seed in the East.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla made quick work of González’s development, watching the 20-year-old from Spain flash his intense defensive potential across 74 appearances throughout his rookie year. His 14.6 minutes off Boston’s bench were enough to convince Stevens (and the Bucks) that González is poised to continue growing into an underrated asset capable of being a game-changer in the coming years.
Not being able to pry González — and possibly more — away from Boston made the difference to Milwaukee.
Bucks owner Jimmy Haslam became a “driving force” in choosing Miami’s offer instead, according to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports. Haslam, also co-owner of the Cleveland Browns, wasn’t willing to risk losing the 2024 NBA Finals MVP with no clear signs that Brown was sold on Milwaukee — especially after Myles Garrett forced his trade to the Los Angeles Rams before Giannis officially departed the Bucks.
Stevens’ run at landing Antetokounmpo indicates a desire to upgrade Boston’s roster after a second straight playoff exit against a lower-seeded opponent. Both times, the Celtics failed to make it past the semifinals, going 9-9 at TD Garden.
Moving forward, Stevens will look elsewhere to take the next step toward revamping Boston’s roster before Opening Night in October.
