At least up to now, everything does seem to be going according to plan for the Miami Heat. They expected the Milwaukee Bucks to begin shopping Giannis Antetokounmpo before the NBA Draft, and they did come out pretty clean after the NBA Draft Lottery.
None of the heavy hitters are guaranteed to be all-in on Giannis this summer just yet, either. Understanding that a lot can change between now and when Giannis is actually traded, the Heat have to like the way things are shaping up.
At this point, the Heat just need to make sure they rank high on Giannis' list of preferred landing spots. Because it does seem as if that may be the ultimate tipping point over the next few weeks.
Giannis will have a strong say in where he's traded
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Bucks are taking calls on Giannis, and the superstar forward is expected to have a huge say in where he's traded.
"The conversation will be simple: Where does [Giannis] want to be moved and where will he sign long term?" one source with direct involvement in the situation told ESPN.
If this is the case, there's reason to believe that the only thing standing in the way of the Heat acquiring Giannis is selling him on a prosperous future in Miami. But that could be a lot easier said than done.
Mostly because of the competition that could arise for the Heat in the Giannis sweepstakes.
The biggest Giannis threats that could enter the bidding war
The wording here is important. It's not a foregone conclusion, but there's a scenario in which the likes of the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the one team that should worry the Heat the most, the New York Knicks, get heavily involved in a Giannis pursuit.
Those are certainly the teams that are probably keeping up the Heat's front office awake at night. Because, theoretically speaking, those teams have the appearance of being able to build around Giannis quicker.
But, again, assuming the recent reporting on Giannis is accurate, the Heat may be able to avoid that nightmarish scenario if they emerge as a strong preference for the star forward.
And they might not even need to be his No. 1 preferred landing spot. As long as they're near the top, the Heat is going to have a puncher's shot at Giannis.
Objectively speaking, that's all the Heat can ask for. If they get a shot, it's on the front office to close. With the way things are currently trending, it does appear as if they're going to have that once-in-a-generation opportunity.
Whether they'll be able to seal the deal or not remains to be seen, but things are certainly lining up that way for the Heat. They, for now, should be moderately encouraged.
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