NBA rumors: Heat monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo, other superstars
The Miami Heat are not off to a hot start; after a disappointing year, Miami has a 3-4 record heading into its 2023 NBA Finals rematch vs. the Denver Nuggets tonight. And as the team continues to struggle, Pat Riley and Co. may be inclined to push all of their proverbial chips in and finally trade for a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo .
Since losing LeBron James in free agency in 2014, the Heat have reportedly chased after numerous superstars, including Kevin Durant and most recently, Damian Lillard last offseason. When Lillard was ultimately dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks , it seemed like the Heat had missed their chance and the Bucks, one of Miami's chief rivals in the Eastern Conference playoffs, had managed to regain their footing after an early exit in the 2023 postseason courtesy of the Heat.
Things have not worked out as expected, though; the Bucks, again without a healthy Antetokounmpo, were knocked out of last season's playoffs in the first round after a tumultuous season during which the team fired its first-year head coach. Even with a former title-winning coach in Doc Rivers taking over midseason and having the entire preseason this year to spark a rebound for the Bucks, Milwaukee is 2-6 , which puts the team third-from-last in the Eastern Conference.
Although the Heat are not in a much better spot in the standings at the moment, Miami, unlike Milwaukee, still has plenty of draft capital and young players to trade if necessary. And that is why the Heat, moreso than most other teams, are actively "monitoring" Antetokounmpo , as well as numerous other star players around the league, according to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel .
"Going after the best of the best is always the name of the game for the Heat, which is why nobody should be surprised to see Anthony Edwards, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and De'Aaron Fox be some of the names that this organization is intrigued by," Siegel wrote. "While none of these three All-Stars will be traded this season, all of them carry question marks about their immediate futures with their respective organizations.
"If things go south in Minnesota after dealing Karl-Anthony Towns and all the ownership questions that exist, could Edwards seek new digs? Will Antetokounmpo ask out of Milwaukee if they fail to steer the ship in the right direction, and does Fox potentially hit the open market after not agreeing to a new extension with Sacramento? These are situations that the Heat are monitoring and keeping their options open for moving forward."
Could Giannis Antetokounmpo force his way out of Milwaukee and to Heat?
It would certainly not be easy for Miami to convince any of the aforementioned stars' teams to execute a trade involving those players, but Miami has often been mentioned as one of the most desirable locations in the NBA, and, as seen by Lillard's trade saga during the summer of 2023, there are players that have the Heat near the top of their preferred destinations.
If Antetokounmpo were like other superstars, many of whom have requested trades or left in free agency once their team's fortunes begin to sour, he would likely be close to asking out of Milwaukee. But Antetokounmpo, who was drafted by the Bucks in 2013 and led the franchise to its first NBA title in 50 years in 2021, seems to have a genuine affinity for his adoptive home.
The Bucks are also not inclined to make a move dealing Antetokounmpo or Lillard soon, considering they parted ways with almost every one of their future draft picks in building this current team. Therefore, the hope is that their star trio — Antetokounmpo, Lillard, and Khris Middleton — can get and remain healthy, especially as they near the playoffs.
The last time Antetokounmpo was not injured in the postseason was in 2022, when he nearly led the Bucks past the eventual conference champion Boston Celtics without Middleton. The 'Greek Freak' either missed or was not 100% for most of Milwaukee's shocking first-round loss to the Heat in 2023, and earlier this year, Antetokounmpo suffered what would prove to be a season-ending injury in the fourth-to-last game of the regular season. Without their star player, the Bucks lost in six games to the Indiana Pacers in the first round.
After last night's win vs. Utah, Milwaukee will try to string together a second consecutive win tonight in New York vs. the Knicks.
