New Giannis Rumors Reveal 3-Team Trade Talks as Celtics Seek Jaylen Brown Landing Spot

As the soft deadline set by the Milwaukee Bucks for a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade approaches, the field of likely suitors for the two-time NBA MVP appears to be taking shape.

On 104.3 WQAM's The Joe Rose Show (starts at 2:15 mark), Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel explained the Bucks are "trying to find a third team" to include where they could redirect Jaylen Brown in a potential deal with the Boston Celtics.

"They don't want a player like that," Winderman said of Milwaukee's interest in Brown. "They don't want a mid-career player if they're trading Giannis. So from what I've heard, they are looking at Jaylen Brown in terms of flipping him to another team. I've been told possibly Atlanta. ... I've been told possibly New Orleans, who have young players."

Winderman went on to explain that a three-team deal could look something like Jonathan Kuminga "and a boat load of picks" between the Celtics and Hawks coming back to the Bucks.

Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor reported on Thursday that the Celtics were open to trading everyone on their roster other than Jayson Tatum, though it doesn't necessarily have to be for Antetokounmpo despite their interest in him.

It's unclear how aggressive the Celtics will be in their pursuit of Antetokounmpo. NBA insider Jake Fischer noted earlier this week that the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers have thus far been the most active suitors in entertaining the type of deal Milwaukee would be seeking.

The Blazers would seem to hold a lot of appeal to the Bucks since Portland controls their first-round selections in 2028 and 2030 stemming from the Damian Lillard trade.

Antetokounmpo's reported preference is to remain in the Eastern Conference, so the Blazers might be facing an uphill battle to get a deal done since he only has one more guaranteed year remaining on his contract with a player option for 2027-28.

The Heat could also struggle to land Antetokounmpo because he would have concerns about what their roster would look like after trading for him.

A team like Boston, with its ability to build a deal around Brown who would appeal to other clubs looking for a star, could push it over the top if it decides to aggressively pursue Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo is the last big piece the Bucks have to replenish their future assets, so they have every incentive to seek a massive return of picks.

The Bucks are hamstrung a bit in terms of leverage because of his contract status, but he's a huge swing piece for a team ready to compete for a title in the 2026-27 season that someone would surely try to meet the asking price.