Giannis Antetokounmpo expected to be traded before NBA draft

Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to be traded before the start of the NBA draft Tuesday, with the Celtics and Heat emerging as finalists to land the Bucks superstar, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania. The current team has been engaged in serious trade talks with both the Celtics and Heat, sources told Charania, and is weighing significantly different offers for Antetokounmpo.

Boston's offer centers around five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown in a proposed swap of two of the NBA's top players, sources told Charania. The Heat, on the other hand, have offered cost-controlled players and significant draft capital, according to sources.

The Heat hold the 13th overall pick in this year's draft.

Miami both are preferred destinations for Antetokounmpo, who has been the focus of ongoing trade speculation for over a year. The current team is not expected to include a third team in an Antetokounmpo trade, according to sources, and is focused solely on negotiating with the Celtics and Heat.

The Celtics are coming off a 56-26 campaign as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference despite playing most of the season without injured star Jayson Tatum. Brown averaged a career-high 28.7 points per game as Boston's centerpiece, but his future came into question last month due to a perceived rift with team management.

Sources told Charania that if he is traded for Antetokounmpo, Brown would remain with the current team. The Heat, who went 43-39 last season, have been seeking a lead star to pair with Bam Adebayo since trading Jimmy Butler to the Warriors last year.

Timeline of events The trade saga began in May 2025, when the two-time league MVP expressed an openness to finding his best fit outside of his current city. Conversations between Antetokounmpo's side and the organization continued to escalate as the year went on, including last summer, when Antetokounmpo informed all parties that he had a desire to play for the Knicks.