NBA Notebook: Giannis-Jaylen Brown rumors, the Knicks are NBA Champions, and the NBA Draft

The noise is getting louder. The smoke is growing larger. The flame has officially been stoked.

A potential Boston Celtics-Giannis Antetokounmpo trade was always in the realm of possibility. Even when Brian Windhorst and Sam Amick poured cold water on the rumblings, it was still -- in theory -- possible.

Now, it seems more realistic than ever.

Bill Simmons noted that he's heard increased noise around the likelihood of an Antetokounmpo-Jaylen Brown swap. Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports mentioned Boston's willingness to include Brown in an Antetokounmpo deal. Ira Winderman of the Miami Sun-Sentinel stated that Boston's interest is legitimate. Marc Stein of The Stein Line doubled down on potential Brown suitors, noting the Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, and Portland Trail Blazers may want to get involved as a third team.

Seemingly all at once, the rumor swirled and swirled until there was a full-on tornado.

The potential package has never really changed. It would be Brown and draft capital (and perhaps a young wing) to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Antetokounmpo.

From there, the Bucks could flip Brown to a third team -- such as the Hawks, Rockets, or Blazers -- for additional assets.

Antetokounmpo wants to stay in the Eastern Conference. He wants to compete for championships. And when you look at what the Celtics' and Miami Heat's rosters would look like in a post-Antetokounmpo-trade world, Boston's seems more complete.

So, what does all this mean for the Celtics? Well, it means that, based on everything that's out there, they are potentially interested in trading for Antetokounmpo.

And that makes sense. Antetokounmpo is one of the best players on the planet. But as is the case in every trade of this caliber, every possible outcome must be examined.

What if Antetokounmpo's injury issues persist? What if the Bucks ask for too many draft picks? What if Antetokounmpo's too old? What if the trade disrupts the team's chemistry?

But the flip side must also be taken into account.

What if Antetokounmpo's rim pressure is what Boston needs to compete in the East? What if he stays healthy? What if he's willing to extend and play alongside Jayson Tatum for the next four to five years?

In the end, if the Celtics can get out of an Antetokounmpo trade without completely gutting their draft cabinet (two picks, maybe two and a swap), then an Antetokounmpo trade could be the type of swing they need to make.

However, trading Brown is risky. He's an All-NBA player for a reason. And he's coming off the best season of his career.

But losing in the playoffs -- especially in the manner Boston has in each of the last two seasons -- often amounts to change. And when a player as elite as Antetokounmpo is on the market, it can be too juicy to ignore.

1. Potential Jaylen Brown landing spots

With all that in mind, where could Brown end up if he does get traded?

Per Stein, the Hawks, Rockets, and Blazers are teams that have shown interest. But what would the trade packages look like?

In the case of Atlanta, they would probably tempt the Bucks with an assortment of assets that include Dyson Daniels, Corey Kispert, Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 8 pick in this year's draft, and/or future draft picks.

The Blazers could offer Jrue Holiday, Jerami Grant, Yang Hansen, Scoot Henderson, and/or future picks.

Both the Hawks and Trail Blazers could give Milwaukee some of its own picks back. Atlanta owns picks from the Dejounte Murray deal with the Pelicans (who received Bucks picks in the Holiday deal), and the Blazers own some from the Damian Lillard trade.

Then, there are the Rockets, who could cough up a mix of Jabari Smith Jr., Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Steven Adams, and/or future draft picks. Or perhaps even Alperen Sengun or Kevin Durant.

Here is what a potential starting lineup could look like for each team:

Hawks: CJ McCollum (if re-signed), Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaylen Brown, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu

Blazers: Jrue Holiday (if not traded), Jaylen Brown, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan

Rockets: Amen Thompson, Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant (if not traded), Jabari Smith Jr./Tari Eason, Alperen Sengun (if not traded)

2. NBA Finals thoughts

You don't have to like the New York Knicks. You can absolutely hate them. But what Jalen Brunson just did in Game 5 of the NBA Finals is unbelievable.

He scored 45 points. The rest of the Knicks scored 49. He led New York to its first NBA championship in 53 years and took home the Finals MVP trophy in the process.

It's an objectively awesome story from so many different angles. Snapping a title-less streak. Three Villanova guys go from winning an NCAA title together to an NBA title. OG Anunoby's Game 4 tip-in. Double-digit comebacks in all four victories -- one of them being the largest comeback (29 points) in NBA Finals history.

But a lot of blame has to go on the San Antonio Spurs, too.

Victor Wembanyama wasn't ready for the moment offensively. De'Aaron Fox was brutal all series. Mitch Johnson made some questionable calls when it came to putting the ball in certain players' hands. Stephon Castle had a brutal Game 5. Dylan Harper was awesome, but he barely had the ball at the end of the game on Saturday night.

Four blown leads in a series that, in theory, could have gone either way. San Antonio's age showed at the worst time.

Now, the Knicks are NBA champions. And the Celtics have some serious catching up to do.

3. James Harden arrested

Cleveland Cavaliers star James Harden was arrested in Houston on Saturday morning, charged with carrying an unlawful weapon.

He was held on a $100 bond and is no longer in police custody. The charge is a misdemeanor, likely stemming from the improper holstering of a handgun. He was in a motor vehicle at the time.

Cleveland reporter Ashly Holder put the Cavs' team statement on Twitter once it was released:

"The Cleveland Cavaliers are aware of the arrest of James Harden this morning and are in the process of gathering additional information. We are in contact with James and his representation and will continue to monitor developments as they become available. At this time, we will have no further comment."

4. Teams interested in LeBron James?

According to Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, LeBron James' long-time agent, 10-12 teams have called about James potentially joining them this summer. He revealed as much during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show:

“There have been incoming calls from every team with the excitement of possibly him playing for them,” Paul said. “So, at 41 years of age, going on 42, that’s something to be extremely proud about, and it’s one of those things that’s like ‘Wow, even at 42 I’m still wanted.’ That’s admirable. Without naming names, I would say about 10-12 teams.”

James has spent eight years in LA. That's longer than his first stint in Cleveland. His family lives there. He's built a base there. Uprooting him from that life would take a lot. But it's not impossible.

The noise has probably been the loudest around the Golden State Warriors. In theory, James' family could remain in LA, as he wouldn't have to travel too far to see them during homestands, training camp, and other team events.

That said, if James is willing to take a discount on his next contract -- a virtual prerequisite for any landing spot not called 'the Lakers' -- it would make sense for a lot of teams to inquire about his services.

Personality, lifestyle, and age aside, James still plays at a very high level. He's an All-Star-caliber player. In the right situation, with the right buy-in, he could absolutely help a team win at the highest level.

5. NBA Draft rumblings

As the NBA Draft inches closer and closer (just over a week away now), the field is beginning to shape up.

The first four picks seem pretty certain at this point, and the order is becoming clearer: BYU's AJ Dybantsa first (Washington Wizards), Kansas' Darryn Peterson second (Utah Jazz), Duke's Cameron Boozer third (Memphis Grizzlies), and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson (Chicago Bulls).

There have been some minor rumors about teams being willing to trade out of the top four, but those four prospects are widely projected to be the first four off the board. It's a virtual certainty.

After that, things get wonky.

The next group will likely include Louisville's Mikel Brown, Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr., Illinois' Keaton Wagler, Houston's Kingston Flemings, Michigan's Aday Mara, Arizona's Brayden Burries, and Tennessee's Nate Ament, but the order is very much up in the air.

This year's draft is loaded with talent, and not just at the top. This is a deep, intriguing class, which could benefit the Celtics (picks No. 27 and No. 40).