Celtics Are Back in Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Pursuit After Initially Backing Out, Per Bill Simmons

The NBA world simply has to wait and see if the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga ends this summer. Until then, speculations and discussions about what's next for the Greek Freak will continue to fly.

One team that's seemingly been fickle about the Milwaukee Bucks star is the Boston Celtics. Initial rumors said the Celtics wanted him, then later, reports said they were not interested. Now, Massachusetts native and well-known Boston sports fan Bill Simmons claims the Celtics are back in on the Giannis sweepstakes.

Interestingly, one of the people who claimed Boston had lost interest in a Giannis trade was Simmons. That was back in May during an episode of 'The Bill Simmons Podcast'.

In a more recent episode of that podcast, Simmons offered a different report.

"I though Boston was out of this. I know Boston was out of this," he said.

"I think they are in on Giannis. I'm not recanting what I said before. I don't know the reasons for it," he continued.

He speculated that they're simply playing a game of front-office chess by forcing the Miami Heat to drive up their offer.

Reports surrounding the two-time NBA MVP suggest he prefers to play in either Miami or Boston. If he does end up with the Heat, they become an immediate problem for the Celtics.

If the Celtics are indeed just forcing the Heat to overpay for Giannis, they reduce the chances that Miami becomes a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.

In terms of assets, Boston might actually have the better trade package. In a trade for the 2021 NBA champion, the Celtics could deal Jaylen Brown.

A package centered on Brown is certainly more enticing than other trade packages that do not include a proven star.

However, Simmons also reported earlier that if the Celtics were to trade Brown, it wouldn't be for Giannis.

Bill Simmons Says the Celtics Are More Likely to Trade Brown for Flexibility Instead of for Giannis Antetokounmpo

In an episode of Bill Simmons' podcast earlier this month, he shared his opinion on what the Celtics would do with Jaylen Brown. He said that if they were to trade him, it wouldn't be to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Instead, they're going to move him for a package that gives them more flexibility. He even added that it could be for a deal that allows them to make extra moves afterward.

The Celtics, should they trade Brown, could go two routes. First, they can trade him for another superstar who would immediately impact winning alongside Jayson Tatum.

Second, they could trade him for a collection of draft picks, elite role players, and promising prospects who've already shown flashes.

Brown is an All-NBA caliber talent. In terms of the trade market, he's definitely in the upper echelon. In order for a team to acquire him, they'll need to give up a massive haul of assets.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the biggest assets in the league, but acquiring him could be limiting for a team.

He commands a massive salary and takes up a ton of cap space. Any team that takes him in will limit its ability to acquire proven vets and reliable specialists. Both of which are valuable to teams that want to compete.