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NBA rumors: Insider dumps cold water on Celtics trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo
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- NBA rumors: Insider dumps cold water on Celtics trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo
NBA rumors: Insider dumps cold water on Celtics trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Are the Boston Celtics a team to watch in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes? Not right now, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
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Although fans and some media members saw Antetokounmpo's recent praise of Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla as a signal that he would like the Bucks to trade him to Boston, Haynes said that, as far as he is aware, that is not the case.
"I haven't heard Boston in the mix as far as being a team that he might be interested in. Maybe that's something that could change. I've just never heard that," Haynes said on SiriusXM NBA Radio [h/t BasketNews]. "I've known — like I don't want to say it now — but I've known of some teams that was intriguing. I've never heard Boston mentioned."
Antetokounmpo, although he might not be Boston-bound, is making his displeasure with the Bucks clear.
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After several years of first-round exits, Milwaukee is set to miss the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade, all while Antetokounmpo is sidelined. He claims the team has kept him out of games despite being healthy enough to play, while the Bucks, according to reports, pushed to shut him down for the season after he suffered a bone bruise in his left knee last month.
Antetokounmpo has been the subject of trade rumors for years, even before he led the Bucks to an NBA championship in 2021. But the talks have only grown louder recently, with last offseason being predicted as a summer dictated by whether Antetokounmpo decided to stay in Milwaukee or leave via trade.
While he ultimately remained, Antetokounmpo could use his $62.8 million player option for the 2027-28 season as leverage to force a trade this offseason.
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