Miami Heat Rumors Roundtable: Are they willing to trade any two for Giannis?
Are the Miami Heat willing to ‘sell the farm’ for ‘The Greek Freak’?
Collin Loring (@cologneloring)
The Miami Heat need to do whatever it takes to land Giannis Antetokounmpo in South Beach.
Within reason.
If Ira Winderman’s comments hold true, I’d be shocked. Trading for the 2018-2019 MVP to have him push the Heat franchise alone would be somewhat of a moot point.
Because if you send a package like Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo for Antetokounmpo, you erase all reason to have pulled the trigger on the deal in the first place. Now, if it’s just Butler or Adebayo, that’s the start of a conversation.
But both? Absolutely not.
Even then, you’re going to send Adebayo to Milwaukee 11 times out of 10 before you send Butler. And that wouldn’t be a terrible price to pay for the Greek Freak. The 25-year old raises your ceiling so much on his own accord, in Miami’s case we’d be talking no worse than an NBA Finals appearance.
He’s averaging 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, a steal, and a block apiece in his 63 appearances for the Bucks this year. Antetokounmpo very well may just pull off consecutive MVP honors, which would make him the first person to do so since Stephen Curry from 2014-2016.
His game would mesh so well next to Butler’s or Bam’s and he’s definitely the kind of guy that could push even the great Pat Riley to offer up a blockbuster-level trade package. Still, it’s hard to see him sending both of his All-Stars away if he’s got his eyes on another championship.
No, if I’m the Heat and I’ve got to send a second player with Adebayo to get this done (they will, should the talks ever begin), I’m starting the conversation with Duncan Robinson. The 26-year old sharpshooter is having one of the best seasons the NBA has ever seen from behind the arc.
It’s rare to see shooters replicate this kind of campaign in totality. Now, I’m not saying Robinson is going to be a 36-percent-shooter next season, but it’s hard to see him coming back out and knocking down 44.9 percent of his uncontested threes and 44.7 percent of those contested.
Selling high on Robinson may prove the best path that ends with the Miami Heat landing their next big fish type talent. It will take some additional salary to fit in Giannis Antetokounmpo, but as Pat Riley and this front office often do, they will adapt and make the right call.