Fans and pundits alike expected the summer to get highlighted by the bidding war for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Lo and behold, even with the 2026 offseason yet to officially commence, the sweepstakes for the superstar is already raging on. In fact, the Philadelphia 76ers might have actually caused a certain team to lock in on pulling off a blockbuster trade for the two-time MVP.
As reported, the Celtics have now taken on a more aggressive stance in hopes of acquiring Antetokoumpo from the Bucks. Apparently, Boston is willing to trade anyone not named Jayson Tatum, which connotes that they have already become amenable to the prospect of deadling Jaylen Brown away to make room for the Greek Freak.
So, how do the 76ers factor in on this marketplace commotion? Well, the Celtics' hard pursuit of Giannis probably would not have happened if they did not lose to Philly in the first round of the playoffs. That makes the 76ers as some sort of a trigger point for Boston to try and reinvent what has otherwise been a winning design for a long time.
The 76ers might have unintentionally pushed the Celtics to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Boston had a hell of a season, finishing second in the East despite missing Tatum for the vast majority of their campaign. Brown was arguably the main reason why they were still able to remain successful in the regular season. In view of those points, their collapse in the playoffs becomes all the more strange.
The Celtics were in cruise control in their first-round series against the 76ers before Philly turned it up and put them on a blender. Eventually, their 3-1 series lead dissipated quickly, and now, everyone seems to have forgotten that they still managed to turn in a wildly successful campaign –– so much so that their own front office is willing to break up their undamaged superstar tandem.
Well, Boston's brass is never one to shy away from landscape-altering changes, and they are certainly adopting that posture as they zero in on Giannis. A Tatum-Antetokounmpo pairing woul certainly rock the entire league, and the East will become even more formidable and difficult to clear for teams like, well, the 76ers.
Philadelphia never intended to cudgel Boston into an existential crisis simply because the latter does not have to be in that position. Nevertheless, it seems like the 76ers somehow rocked the Celtics front office into acting with more urgency, even if that means breaking up a nucleus that is not at all broken.
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