Bad News for Celtics as Giannis Antetokounmpo Picks His Next Destination, Per Insider

The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga might be coming to an end soon. After months of rumors, speculations, and the list of teams involved growing, a clear winner of this sweepstakes may have finally emerged.

For several months now, the Miami Heat have been touted as the Greek Freak's next destination. They are in his preferred conference and have the type of young assets the Milwaukee Bucks want in return.

Up to this point, the Heat have only been part of the Giannis rumor mill. That has apparently changed, as the Florida-based franchise is now believed to be very close to securing a deal, per Brian Windhorst.

"The league believes that this is finally going to happen," Windhorst said. "Talks have intensified over the last 7 to 10 days. [Giannis] has focused on wanting to be a member of the Miami Heat. Because he's only got one year on his contract, he has some control over that."

Windhorst also pointed out that the reason a deal wasn't reached before, despite months of negotiation, was that the Bucks didn't like what the Heat had to offer.

"The Heat and Bucks have been talking for months and have not agreed to a deal because the Bucks don’t love the Heat’s offer. There are 3rd and 4th teams involved," he added.

Initially, the Miami Heat's offer reportedly centered on Tyler Herro and a few young prospects, including Kel'el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Herro, at 26, has emerged as one of the league's most consistent role players, averaging 20 ppg in 2025-26. So far, he's earned one 6th Man of the Year award (2022) and one All-Star selection (2025).

Ware just finished his sophomore season, where he averaged 11.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game.

Jaquez has three seasons worth of experience already, and is coming off his best campaign yet. This past season, he averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists, all of which are career-highs.

The Heat were also reportedly willing to include the 13th pick in the upcoming draft, as well as a first-rounder in 2029 and 2030.

With other teams now reportedly getting involved, some of these assets might be rerouted to maximize the Bucks' returns. Furthermore, the Heat are rumored to be at the top of his list of preferred teams.

And in these discussions, the Boston Celtics might have been left out.

What could the Boston Celtics have offered to get Giannis?

The Boston Celtics reportedly already tried to make an offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the exact players they included were not shared.

What people around the league believe is that Jaylen Brown, who averaged 28.7 points per game in 2025-26 and single-handedly carried the Celtics for much of the season, is part of that deal.

In fact, there were rumors that Brown was being discussed as part of a direct swap for Giannis, a move that would, on paper, allow the Bucks to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference.

However, Milwaukee reportedly has little interest in that approach. Instead, the Bucks are said to be prioritizing a full rebuild, with a preference for acquiring young talent and multiple draft picks.

Had they acquired Brown in a deal, the expectation was that they would have flipped him immediately to obtain the pieces they actually wanted. There was also speculation that the Bucks and Celtics could involve a third team to serve as Brown's eventual landing spot.

Teams such as the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers were frequently mentioned as potential participants in a three-team trade.