Boston’s Giannis Contract Offer Was Bigger Than Reported. The Trade Still Fell Apart.

Bill Simmons said something on his podcast about the Celtics and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and before you could blink, the internet decided it knew exactly what happened. According to Simmons, Boston balked at offering Antetokounmpo a full three-year extension worth 35 percent of the salary cap during trade talks with Milwaukee. The implication was obvious: the Celtics lowballed a two-time MVP and killed their own shot at a blockbuster.

But Simmons walked that back pretty fast. He clarified on social media that the Celtics never actually changed their offer — Milwaukee just decided not to take it. And then came a report from CelticsBlog citing a league source who flatly denied the notion that Boston tried to negotiate a cheaper deal. The source said the Celtics were prepared to give Antetokounmpo the full three-year max at 35 percent of the cap. Contract terms weren’t the reason those talks collapsed, the source said. The reason was Milwaukee chose a different package.

And that package came from Miami. The Bucks sent Giannis to the Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, a pick swap and a second-rounder. That’s a lot of young talent and draft capital. It’s also the kind of offer that makes you wonder if Milwaukee was ever seriously going to trade its franchise player to a conference rival, regardless of what Boston offered.

After the Giannis deal fell through, the Celtics pivoted. They traded Jaylen Brown to the 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks. That’s a different kind of move — swapping a homegrown All-Star for an aging superstar and some future assets. It’s not the same as landing Antetokounmpo, but it’s not nothing either.

The whole saga raises a pretty basic question: how much of this was ever real? Simmons admitted his original comments were mischaracterized. The league source pushed back hard on the extension narrative. But the idea that Boston couldn’t close the deal still hangs in the air, even if the details don’t match the original story.

What’s clear is that the Celtics wanted people to know they didn’t screw this up on the contract stuff. Whether that changes how anyone feels about missing out on Giannis is another story. Milwaukee got a haul. Miami got a superstar. Boston got Paul George and some picks. The rumors will keep spinning, but the trade board is settled.