Over the last few years, the Miami Heat haven't been able to find the right-fitting center next to Bam Adebayo. Even Kel'el Ware, despite his natural talent, hasn't lived up to the expectations of head coach Erik Spoelstra.
And that problem wouldn't be solved even if the Heat are able to cement a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason. A trade for Giannis would theoretically give this team a huge talent boost, but they'd still have a problem at the center position.
The argument could be made that the Heat would still have some of those concerns even if they don't trade for Giannis, but there's no question they'd still be a huge headache if Ware is traded this summer.
Heat will have difficult in building around Giannis
Should that scare the Heat away from pursuing Giannis? Absolutely not. However, it's a very real reality that is staring the Heat's front office squarely in the face. Overall, Miami is going to have difficulty in building around Giannis and Bam with what it's going to cost to land the star player.
But more specifically, the Heat are going to have some of the same problems at the center position as they've faced for the past few seasons.
Where it would hurt the Heat most is how it could add even more unnecessary wear and tear on the team's new dynamic duo.
The idea of a Giannis and Bam frontcourt is great, until you quickly realize that they may have to consistently play out of a comfort position for them. And that's when the idea of fatigue could emerge as a long-term problem for the Heat.
That's where not having a designated center will hurt Miami. But, again, that's kind of the gamble that Miami has always been willing to take. If the star is available,
The Heat could be making a huge gamble
Ultimately, that's what this Giannis situation is for the Heat. One big gamble.
Clearly, the Heat are willing to go down this path. It's a gamble to even pursue Giannis with such a small likelihood of a deal getting done. But even if they're successful in luring Giannis away from Milwaukee, there's an entirely new layer of risk that comes with the team-building part of this plan.
And the questions at the center position will be one of the team's primary concerns.
The star-hunting game is certainly one of give and take. The Heat is looking to give depth to take a superstar. In the process, they could end up with a very frustrating problem that's plagued them over the last few years.
No matter how talented Giannis is, the Heat still needs to figure out its long-term answer at the center position.
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