Everything Bucks Wanted from Celtics in Giannis Trade, Why Boston Refused Revealed in New NBA Rumors

One reason that Giannis Antetokounmpo did not end up with the Boston Celtics is because their interest in the two-time NBA MVP only went so far.

In the wake of the Antetokounmpo being traded to the Miami Heat on Monday night, ESPN's Shams Charania said on SportsCenter that the Bucks sought young players like Baylor Scheierman and Hugo González plus draft assets in addition to Jaylen Brown and the Celtics were not willing to meet that price.

Charania explained the Celtics' final offer to the Bucks included Jaylen Brown and two unprotected first-round picks.

The Heat got it done by sending Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round draft picks, a second-round pick and a first-round pick swap to Milwaukee.

A package centered around Brown wouldn't have made much sense for the Bucks. He is going into his age-30 season, already signed to a max contract that will pay him more than $60 million starting in 2027-28 and he will be eligible to extend his deal for up to two years and more than $140 million.

Given where the Bucks are at right now, swapping out one expensive superstar contract for another one seems redundant. Their desire to prioritize young and talent picks seems like a better fit for their timeline.

The oldest player Milwaukee got back from the Heat is Herro, who doesn't turn 27 until Jan. 20. Ware and Jakučionis are both under the age of 23. They have also shown a lot of promise early in their careers.

Ware averaged 11.1 points and 9.0 rebounds, while shooting 39.5 percent from three on 3.0 attempts per game in 77 appearances last season. Jakučionis, the No. 20 pick in the 2025 draft, shot 42.3 percent from behind the arc on 2.9 attempts per contest as a rookie.

On top of that, the Bucks get a lottery pick this year (No. 13) to go with their own selection at No. 10. They also own unprotected picks from Miami in 2031 and 2033.

Antetokounmpo will be 37 when the first of those picks conveys, so it's entirely plausible the Heat are picking in the lottery at that time.

Given how dire things have been for the Bucks over the past 12 months in their desperation to try squeezing whatever juice was left from the Antetokounmpo era, this was perhaps the best outcome they could have hoped for.

The Celtics' package built around Brown might have made the Bucks more interesting next season, but Milwaukee's path back to contention would still look incredibly murky.

Now, the Bucks have some runway to being a playoff contender within the next couple of years if their bets on these young players and draft picks pays off.