Deadlines tend to inspire behavior change.
Whether it’s the end of the shot clock or the final seconds of a game, we’ve seen countless on-court examples of how that time element sparks something — good or bad — when the pressure builds to a crescendo. The NBA trade market is no different.
Welcome to the final days (most likely) of the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.
With the Milwaukee Bucks’ self-imposed deadline of Tuesday’s first round of the NBA Draft fast approaching, there remains some mystery as to whether the Bucks will follow the playbook laid out by co-owner Jimmy Haslam.
The Boston Celtics, as has been the case for some time now, have serious interest and remain a significant threat to derail Miami Heat president Pat Riley’s plans — if the Celtics are willing to do what it takes before this (unofficial) buzzer sounds to get a deal done.
The 3 teams that should trade for Giannis
Esfandiar Baraheni
Of all the questions that remain unanswered, and which will likely dictate how it all ends, that might top the list.
The Celtics have gone to great lengths to avoid the elephant in the room here, but Jaylen Brown would need to be part of any deal for Antetokounmpo. And if Boston had its way, the conversation would start and end there with a one-for-one swap of fellow All-Stars who are still in their respective primes (Antetokounmpo is 31; Brown is 29). Lest anyone forget, Brown is coming off his best season yet, finishing sixth in MVP voting.
It’s unclear if the Bucks would look to build around Brown as a centerpiece, as many rival executives have recently predicted, or perhaps rebuild by sending him elsewhere for young players and picks. Whichever path Milwaukee selects, it’s widely believed that Brown alone wouldn’t be enough.
Boston could add up to three future first-round picks in the deal, and the fact that Antetokounmpo is known to be comfortable signing an extension with the Celtics should compel them to go all-in. After all, Antetokounmpo is a champion, two-time MVP and former NBA Defensive Player of the Year whose overall body of work far exceeds Brown’s. All-time greats who plan on dominating for years to come just don’t hit the market all that often.
Then again, the Celtics’ desperation level isn’t at the level of the Heat’s. Boston could forge ahead with the Brown-Jayson Tatum dynamic duo and look for other ways to upgrade the frontcourt. To that end, league sources say the Celtics are among the many teams with interest in the New Orleans Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III (if they don’t land Antetokounmpo).
So what if draft day comes, and the Bucks’ brass — led by Haslam and longtime general manager Jon Horst — don’t feel good enough about the final offers? It was a calculated risk to push this massive decision into the summertime, when the hope was that the market would improve and the line of serious suitors would be a country mile long. That does not appear to be the case.
Some rival executives still believe the Bucks are underwhelmed by the offers. Still, the team’s longstanding commitment to organizational secrecy suggests there may be promising talks underway that haven’t been shared publicly. These next few days, if nothing else, should reveal which reality they’re facing.
News and notes
• In Memphis, Ja Morant was once the superstar whose uncertain future we analyzed at every turn. And then, somewhere along the line, the noise around him went quiet. Yet league sources say the Grizzlies are hopeful that Morant will be some team’s Plan B when the dust settles on Antetokounmpo’s situation.
The Heat, in particular, have long been known to have serious interest in the 26-year-old, two-time All-Star. The thinking, it seems, is that Miami’s potential package might reset the market that has otherwise been extremely soft for Morant.
In the absence of that sort of suitor, the Sacramento Kings were a team willing to take on Morant if they also received additional draft assets in return. Morant has two years and a combined $87 million left on his deal.
• League sources also confirmed a report from NBA reporter Jake Fischer that the LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard is on the Heat’s Plan B list (or the Golden State Warriors’ Plan A list). The issue around the league is that no one seems to know if Leonard is available. Or, for that matter, if the NBA’s never-ending investigation into the Clippers’ alleged salary cap circumvention with Leonard might be an issue for any team that takes him on when it comes to possible discipline.
Leonard, the 34-year-old, seven-time All-Star who was second-team All-NBA last season, is entering the final year of his deal (worth $50.3 million).
• Speaking of Plan Bs, league sources say the Portland Trail Blazers would have serious interest in Brown if the Celtics made him available. The Blazers have been among the suitors for Antetokounmpo since the February trade deadline but appear to be on the outside looking in at the moment. Also, league sources say the Minnesota Timberwolves — whose pursuit of Antetokounmpo also appears to have cooled — have strong interest in the Celtics’ Derrick White.
• League sources say Detroit Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart is available. The Pistons, in search of additional shooting and playmakers, appear ready to rely on seventh-year big man Paul Reed in an increased role. Stewart has two years and a combined $30 million left on his deal (team option in the second season).
Detroit, which is believed to be among the suitors for Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves if he makes it to unrestricted free agency, is also said to be interested in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Isaiah Joe.
Reaves, who is expected to decline his player option for next season, can come to terms with the Lakers before free agency begins on July 1.
• When it comes to the sensitive situation between Walker Kessler and the Utah Jazz that I reported this week, this much is clear: If the 24-year-old restricted free agent were thrilled with the Jazz’s offer, he would have accepted it already.
And until he does, the prospect of him pushing his way out of Salt Lake City — either by sign-and-trade, an offer sheet from another team (which Utah could match) or signing the qualifying offer ($7.1 million) and becoming an unrestricted free agent a year from now — remains possible.
However, the Jazz did put a significant offer on the table: As ESPN first reported, and team sources confirmed, Kessler was offered a five-year deal worth approximately $140 million.
