The Miami Heat are clearly laser-focused on their trade deadline pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, but it would be foolish not to admit that there's a good chance this all ends in disappointment for them.
And that may not be entirely their fault.
At this point, there's probably a better chance that Giannis gets either traded to another team that isn't the Heat or that he isn't traded at all. In those scenarios, the Heat needs to already have some pretty good plan Bs in place.
Miami is hoping for Giannis, but if that plan falls through, here are three other interesting consolation trades that the Heat should be preparing for ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
Andrew Wiggins for a 1st Round Pick
Even if the Heat miss out on Giannis, it's unlikely that Andrew Wiggins is going to be a candidate to be re-signed during the offseason. That's why it would make the most sense for the Heat to explore trading him before the deadline, no matter what happens with Giannis.
Trading him for a first-round pick, if they could net that, would be a huge win for the franchise. Considering the Los Angeles Lakers have been interested in Wiggins before, they're a team they should certainly circle back to.
In this deal, the Lakers get their difference-making wing while parting ways with a few pieces who don't have a bright future in Los Angeles. They would also come to the conclusion that they need to throw in a first-round pick to finally get this deal done.
This is one of those trades that would be a good consolation prize if they do end up missing out on their bigger pursuits.
Tyler Herro gets a fresh start
Looking back, Tyler Herro is going to be remembered as a great success story for the Heat. However, it does feel like his days in a Heat uniform are numbered. It's been a great seven years, but it may be time for a fresh start - for both sides.
In this deal, the Heat sends an upstart Detroit Pistons team a great wing scorer in hopes that it's a move that puts them over the top. This deal is centered around Jaden Ivey and an extremely late first-round pick this season.
In order to make the money go round, the Heat and Pistons would have to recruit a third team. The Brooklyn Nets would play ball in exchange for a second-round pick.
Herro gets his fresh start, the Heat get a new reclamation project in Ivey, and the Pistons get what could be viewed as a strong piece to help them secure the East.
Ja Morant will give Heat fans something to celebrate
If the Heat miss out on Giannis and they don't check back in on Ja Morant, it would be a huge mistake. In fact, I do believe that if Giannis gets moved elsewhere, it would be malpractice not to take a flier on Morant, especially considering how low his trade value currently is.
The Heat doesn't want to give up a future first-round, so they meet in the middle by offering Herro and a salary filler (Simone Fontecchio). At that point, the Memphis Grizzlies could look to flip Herro for a first-round pick if they wanted, but that's not on Miami.
Miami would flip Herro in a deal for Morant with the expectation that they're not going to re-sign him to an extension anyway. Morant would immediately ignite the fan base with some excitement, even in the midst of the fallout after missing out on Giannis, and give the team a star they can keep building around.
The Heat are clearly hoping they can hit big at the trade deadline, but there are other deals that could be available to them that have nothing to do with Giannis. Miami will have options; it's important they explore each and every one of them. Even if they do miss out on the grand prize.