As the 2025 NBA offseason approaches, one of the league’s biggest storylines surrounds Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who appears to be considering requesting a trade. Among potential destinations, rumors point towards the Boston Celtics, a team known for its willingness to make bold moves. This speculation on a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors with Celtics is causing buzz, despite significant obstacles concerning finances and roster logistics.
Antetokounmpo, a perennial All-Star and 2021 NBA Finals MVP, is locked into a contract that pays him about $175 million over the next three seasons, making any trade acquisition a major financial commitment. The Celtics, who face their own salary cap constraints, must ideally reduce payroll to remain under the NBA’s secondary luxury tax threshold, complicating any potential deal for a high-priced star like Giannis.
Boston Celtics Positioned as Possible Trade Contenders According to Experts
NBA insider Brian Windhorst of ESPN pointed out that despite these hurdles, the Celtics remain on the shortlist of teams capable of orchestrating a deal for Giannis.
“The move for Giannis, if he has control, is to go to the East,”
Windhorst said.
“I think you have to look at the teams that could make a trade for Giannis that the Bucks would accept, and on the other side of the trade, would have a contending team. So, Boston would be on that list.”
Windhorst’s remarks emphasize that any Giannis trade is not just about finances but also about finding a contending team ready to make a push, which Boston certainly qualifies for. However, the Celtics’ position as likely sellers in the upcoming offseason suggests that acquiring Giannis would represent a significant shift toward an aggressive championship pursuit.
Financial and Roster Complications Make a Giannis Deal Unlikely
Among the challenges is figuring out which players Boston could offer in a trade for Antetokounmpo. The most logical candidate seems to be Jaylen Brown, a key starter with a $53.1 million salary cap hit for the 2025-2026 season. Yet, swapping Brown for Giannis in a one-for-one deal would not alleviate Boston’s financial pressures, since Giannis’s contract is roughly $1 million higher.
Furthermore, bringing in Antetokounmpo would add age to an already veteran-laden roster, especially with Jayson Tatum likely to miss much of the 2025-26 season due to injury. This timeline challenge reduces Boston’s flexibility and narrows their championship window considerably.
Potential Trade Scenarios and Future Outlook for the Celtics
While unlikely, there remains a faint possibility that the Celtics could explore unconventional trade packages that do not include Jaylen Brown, though convincing Milwaukee to accept anything less seems improbable. The team is poised to make multiple roster adjustments in the offseason regardless of whether they acquire Giannis.
Boston’s fanbase and management must weigh the risks of absorbing a massive contract and adjusting to a changing core against the undeniable upside of adding one of the NBA’s premier talents. The uncertainty surrounding Giannis’s future, combined with the Celtics’ current rebuilding and financial strategy, makes this potential trade one of the most intriguing but tenuous stories heading into the 2025 offseason.
As speculation continues, Celtics supporters will closely monitor all developments, knowing that even if the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors with Celtics do not materialize, significant changes are imminent for Boston’s roster.