The Miami Heat might be in prime position to land the most favorable trade package for Giannis Antetokounmpo. If the Milwaukee Bucks hold off on moving Giannis until after the season, it could play directly into Miami’s hands.
While many fans would prefer the Giannis saga to end before the offseason, delaying a trade could actually benefit the Heat. NBA insider Jake Fischer notes that if the Bucks wait until summer to explore deals, Miami could expand its offer from just two tradable first-round picks to four.
“For one particular example, Miami, whether it’s going for after AD or Giannis, hypothetically, the Heat only have access to two first-round picks right now to trade,” remarked the NBA insider. “Come June 30th at 6 p.m. ET, when the calendar flips to the 26-27 season, Miami already has access to four first-round picks, two additional picks. So, there’s just a greater likelihood, I think, of a deal for either of these guys happening in the summer.”
Can Giannis Antetokounmpo join the Heat in the summer?
At the moment, the Heat just don’t have the resources to land Giannis. If he pushed for a trade today and the Bucks opened up a bidding war, Miami would be outbid compared with other contenders. Sure, they could try to get crafty with multi-team deals to make themselves competitive, but as it stands, the Heat simply don’t have the assets to swing a trade for the superstar.
In a few months, Miami’s trade offer could look a lot more appealing, potentially including Tyler Herro, some salary fillers, Kelee Ware, four first-round picks, and four pick swaps. That kind of package starts to resemble the level of assets it would likely take to land Giannis Antetokounmpo.
By then, the Bucks could view the haul as more acceptable. With their limited draft capital, receiving just two first-round picks for Giannis would fall short. In this scenario, four picks begin to look like the minimum necessary to justify a trade.
