Miami Heat fans should be anticipating another quiet NBA Trade Deadline, especially if the recent rumors are accurate.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, all is quiet on the Heat front, and there's a growing belief that Miami is among the teams that are going to continue to play the wait-and-see game surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo's availability - whether that comes at this year's deadline or during the offseason.
Assuming that is the case, it's hard to imagine the Heat is going to do anything in their power to jeopardize their chances at acquiring Giannis. That means if Giannis is not going to be available at the deadline, the Heat are unlikely to make a win-now move.
It'd make zero sense to burn assets on a short-sighted move that would hurt their chances to land Giannis in a few months.
The Heat have to be smart at the NBA Trade Deadline
If anything, the Heat could end up making a small move to try to add another asset for their eventual pursuit of Giannis. But their lack of overall activity at the trade deadline will only further frustrate fans.
Especially for a Heat season that is almost certainly going to end similarly to last year, it has to be an unfortunate experience for fans to watch it all unfold - again. It's easy to fall into the fallacy of making a move just for the sake of making one. But that's not smart.
And as painful as it may be for the Heat to stand pat at the NBA Trade Deadline once again, the Heat should still be holding on to the pipe dream of landing Giannis.
It's as close to a possibility as its ever been, and it would be pretty dubious for the Heat to pivot now.
But even the mere chance at Giannis requires the utmost patience. That's what both the front office and the fan base will have to practice over the next few months.
It's far from a guarantee that the Heat will land Giannis, or that he will even hit the trade block. But if he does, the Heat have to like their chances. And that's what the last couple of years have led to.
Whether they're willing to admit it or not, as soon as the Jimmy Butler era ended, the Heat's path back to relevance always revolved around acquiring another superstar. It's clear now that the No. 1 target is Giannis.
Sitting out one more trade deadline to try and land their big fish has to be considered worth it, even if it adds frustration to the fan base. Because the potential reward, in this situation, would certainly outweigh the risk of it all.