Giannis Antetokounmpo has officially only been a member of the Miami Heat for a few days, and he's yet to play in a game for them, but he may already be trying to make moves from behind the scenes.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Giannis would want LeBron James in Miami (and may be making that clear behind the scenes). That became quite clear when Giannis was taken aback when he thought LeBron had committed to Cleveland in free agency on a recent stream.
The feeling may be mutual for LeBron, as NBA insider Jake Fischer noted that the superstar forward might be considering playing alongside Giannis in Miami.
LeBron is only considering Miami because of Giannis
Would it be too far-fetched to suggest that Giannis (and even Bam Adebayo) is on the recruiting trail in trying to deliver LeBron to Miami? I wouldn't think so. Especially considering what the goal for Giannis is as he takes this next step of his career to Miami.
Giannis has crossed the bridge that he was afraid to cross when leaving Milwaukee. At this point, Giannis is all about winning championships. Whether many outsiders believe he can accomplish that in Miami or not remains to be seen, but that's what this move was about.
And a big part of making the pivot to Miami is that there's a better chance other stars (or even supporting players) will want to play for the Heat than the Bucks. LeBron is just the first example of that.
In Milwaukee, Giannis would have virtually no shot to play with LeBron. Even though I'd still say that the Cavs are the favorites to sign LeBron at this point, the Heat have, at the very least, a puncher's chance to surprise the masses (again).
Giannis could end up being one of the biggest reasons why.
Giannis has already shifted the power in the Eastern Conference
Without Giannis' influence in Miami, the Heat probably wouldn't get a second thought from LeBron. However, the lure of Giannis (and Bam) may have completely changed LeBron's plans for this upcoming season. They're at least giving him something else to think about.
So when Brian Windhorst is saying that the Giannis move will change the balance of the NBA, even before it happened, these are the types of scenarios that he was probably talking about.
Because the Heat's move to acquire Giannis was almost never going to be only about the superstar forward. Something has shifted in the East, and I have a feeling this is just the beginning of what's to come for the Heat.
Giannis is already changing things for Miami. And if he has his way, LeBron may be part of those big changes in fortune for the Heat too.
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