The Boston Celtics reportedly refused to include second-year guard Hugo Gonzalez and third-year guard Baylor Scheierman in a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, ultimately leading the Milwaukee Bucks to accept the Miami Heat’s offer for their longtime franchise star.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Celtics were firm on their final offer of Jaylen Brown and two future first-round picks, refusing to include additional young pieces and draft assets for Antetokounmpo. In comparison, the Heat offered a pick-heavy package (three first-rounders and a swap) that also included promising youngsters on rookie-scale contracts: Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis. The Heat also sent out Tyler Herro, who could be rerouted to another team, per multiple reports.
“The Bucks wanted more assets,” Charania told “SportsCenter” late on Monday, while explaining why Boston’s offer for a Giannis trade fell through.
“They wanted Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, more first-round picks and more swaps… End of the day, the Celtics were not willing to part with enough young players and assets to get a deal done,” added the insider.
Why Bucks Chose Heat Over Celtics
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes the Heat’s offer proved more compelling to a Bucks team preparing to undergo a rebuild. In Herro, Ware, Jaquez Jr., Jakucionis and the No. 10 and No. 13 pick (via Heat), the Bucks can essentially rebuild their core and kickstart the post-Giannis era. Although Jaylen Brown — fresh off a career year — would have kept them competitive in the 2026-27 season, the Bucks may have run the risk of surrounding another disgruntled superstar with an underwhelming supporting cast.
“Jaylen Brown is a better player to have than any of these other guys in the 2026-27 season. But I’m not sure where you go with him,” Windhorst said on the “Hoop Collective” podcast while analyzing the fallout from the Giannis trade.
“…The ultimate assessment here is the Bucks should have traded Giannis a year ago,” he added, stressing the Bucks could have got a better haul for the two-time MVP.
Celtics ‘All-In’ on Hugo Gonzalez
It’s not a surprise that the Celtics were unwilling to part with the second-year Spanish guard. Per The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, the Celtics view Gonzalez as a critical building block of the future after he flashed a lot of potential in his rookie season.
“I’m just gonna say…. I would be absolutely shocked if Hugo was/is thrown into any Giannis trade offer,” Simmons wrote hours before the Heat pulled off a Giannis trade.
“The entire organization is all-in on him – [Brad] Stevens prob the most. They could not be higher on him. I genuinely don’t believe he’s involved. Guess we’ll see.”
I would be absolutely shocked if Hugo was/is thrown into any Giannis trade offer. The entire organization is all-in on him – Stevens prob the most. They could not be higher on him. I genuinely don’t believe he’s involved. Guess we’ll see.
If Gonzalez turns into an All-Star caliber player, Celtics front-office boss Brad Stevens would be proven right for not sacrificing the youngster for Antetokounmpo. The Spaniard started three of his 74 games for the Celtics as a rookie.
Celtics Refused to Trade These 2 Players for Giannis Antetokounmpo: Report