The Miami Heat have been the frontrunners in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes for weeks and longtime NBA journalist Marc Stein had them in the lead in his Substack reporting on Sunday night.
Shortly after publishing, however, he tweeted that a source reached out to him and explained that Boston could end up winning the race by including Jaylen Brown and without needing a third team.
UPDATE: One league source, after my story published, told @TheSteinLine that the Celtics emerged from the weekend “with a real shot” to win this race with a Jaylen Brown-centric offer … adding that Milwaukee has considered going ahead even without a third-team facilitator.
The update marks a shift in a race the Heat have led for weeks. It also could mean there’s some jockeying down the final stretch.
Smokescreen?
The reports of Boston’s potential inclusion of Jaylen Brown could simply be a smokescreen to get Miami to give up additional assets, though it also could mean that pairing Giannis Antetokounmpo with Jayson Tatum is suddenly a more realistic threat
Boston’s path, if willing to include Brown, likely beats Miami’s, as we previously detailed.
Obtaining Brown would allow the Bucks to compete now but also garner a draft-pick centric haul down the road.
Third Team Update
There’s been some reports that Milwaukee values draft picks, meaning Boston could offer up to three first-rounders or the Bucks could reroute Jaylen Brown to a third team. Stein’s update suggests that calculus may be changing, with a Brown-centric offer now viewed as enough to potentially get a deal done.
As for Miami’s package, ESPN’s Bobby Marks outlined the three assets Milwaukee is seeking in any deal: draft capital, young players on controllable contracts, and win-now talent. The Heat check every box with Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., the No. 13 pick, and future first-rounders, though there have been reputable reports that the Heat definitely need a third team and that Herro would be shipped elsewhere (Detroit has been linked over the weekend, though it’s not clear how serious those reports are).
The third-team question has loomed throughout. Milwaukee has reportedly eyed the Trail Blazers to recoup the draft assets it sent out in the Damian Lillard trade, as we reported. If the Bucks are now willing to proceed without a facilitator, it removes a significant obstacle for Boston.
Bucks ownership previously indicated that it would like a trade to occur before the draft. With the draft set for Tuesday, the Giannis saga may finally near its end.
