Miami Heat president Pat Riley couldn't have been any clearer at this end-of-the-season press conference when he said he wanted to build around Bam Adebayo, and that the front office would be aggressive in doing so.
Well, now is the time to follow through on that promise. As the NBA offseason closes in, it's almost do-or-die time for Riley and the rest of the Heat's front office.
Even though this feels like a "Giannis or bust" offseason for the Heat, there are several other star players who could help perfect the next retooling around Bam. We'll explore three as the offseason quickly closes in.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
There's no mistaking it; Giannis is the Heat's No. 1 option heading into the offseason. In a perfect world, their offseason would begin with an acquisition of Giannis. He's the primary focus heading into the offseason.
He's the star player the team has been building toward, and one that could pretty much single-handedly save the franchise. What he can do on both ends of the floor, the Heat doesn't have another player on the roster that would come close. As Bam continues to grow his game to the 3-point line, Giannis would seem like an even better fit.
And now that it appears the Milwaukee Bucks are finally going to take the necessary steps to trade him, the Heat should feel good about their chances this summer. Are there concerns about what the supporting cast may look like around Giannis? Absolutely.
But as the Heat has done time and time again, you get the star and worry about the rest later.
Giannis is certainly the goal for the Heat this summer, but in the event they can't hammer down a deal for him, there are a few other star players Miami should feel comfortable pursuing in his place.
Donovan Mitchell
There's a portion of the Heat fan base that may actually prefer a pursuit of Donovan Mitchell or Giannis. Either way, the Heat can do no wrong if they manage to land one of these two players this offseason.
Mitchell would give the Heat exactly what they've been missing in the backcourt, in terms of playmaking and scoring, and would be an excellent fit next to Bam. Plus, let's now water down the fact that Mitchell and Bam already have a connection. In the NBA, that matters.
Mitchell is also closer to Bam in age, giving them a larger window than perhaps a pursuit of Giannis would. It's hard to envision the Heat prioritizing Mitchell over Giannis at this point, but Miami would still make a big return to relevance in the East if they managed to land Mitchell over Giannis.
Kawhi Leonard
If not Giannis, Kawhi Leonard would make a ton of sense for the Heat. In many ways, there's an argument to be made that Kawhi would fit alongside Bam better than Giannis. But the injuries certainly complicate that entire argument.
Nevertheless, if the Heat strikes out on Giannis, Kawhi would represent a quality backup option heading into the offseason. He would theoretically cost less than Giannis, while making a similar impact.
If the Heat could keep a few supporting pieces in place, re-sign Norman Powell to a fair deal, and add Kawhi next to Bam in the frontcourt, the Heat could be one of the fascinating teams in the East. There would certainly be big question marks about his ability to remain healthy, but there's certainly a formula there to make some noise in the East.
Anthony Davis/Ja Morant (discount bucket)
Finally, if the Heat did want to take on more of a risk with a potential move, Anthony Davis and/or Ja Morant could make sense. These are two players that would likely be had for a discount on the price, but, because of injuries, are much more of a gamble.
Neither would be considered a guarantee by any means.
In theory, though, Davis would be an excellent addition to Bam in the frontcourt, and Morant could be everything that the team has been missing in the backcourt. Both of these players come with real star pedigree, and would appeal to the fan base.
If they can remain healthy, too, they'd be moves that could help the Heat bounce back in a huge way next season.
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