Bill Simmons Sets the Record Straight on That Giannis-Celtics Trade Report

Let’s be real. The NBA rumor mill moves fast and gets sloppy. And this week, Bill Simmons found himself on the cleanup crew.

It started with a post on X from NBACentral, which claimed that Giannis Antetokounmpo was ready to sign off on a trade to the Boston Celtics. The catch according to that report? The Celtics refused to give him the three-year max extension he wanted and would only offer two years. The source cited was Simmons himself, from a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast.

The internet did what the internet does. It ran with it.

But Simmons wasn’t about to let that version of events hang out there without correction. He fired back on social media with a pretty direct clarification.

“Not exactly what I said. Celts never changed their offer from the first offer – Milwaukee ultimately decided not to take that offer regardless,” Simmons wrote.

So the nuance here is important. It’s not that Boston lowballed Giannis. It’s that Milwaukee simply didn’t pull the trigger on the deal that was on the table. Whatever the Bucks were offered, they chose to keep their star or find another path. And we all know how that ended: Giannis was eventually dealt to the Miami Heat, a move that reshaped the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics got roasted anyway

Even if Simmons’ clarification takes some heat off Boston’s front office, the broader narrative hasn’t been kind. The Celtics sent Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and future picks. That deal drew immediate criticism from fans who felt Boston sold low on a 2024 Finals MVP. Or just shouldn’t have traded him at all.

And then there’s the division rival factor. Philly just beat Boston in the playoffs after being down 3-1. So handing them an MVP candidate like Brown in his prime? That’s the kind of move that haunts a franchise for years.

The Celtics still have talent. Jayson Tatum is still there. Brad Stevens has some draft capital to work with now. But two years ago, this team looked like it could start a dynasty. Now it feels like they’re scrambling to stay relevant in a conference that just got a lot tougher.

Simmons clearing up the Giannis stuff doesn’t change the fact that the Brown trade happened. And that’s the part Celtics fans can’t unsee.