The Miami Heat are operating under the assumption that they're going to have a real shot to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo during the offseason, but one bold trade from the Milwaukee Bucks at this year's NBA Trade Deadline could blow up the team's plan. That's why it's imperative that the Bucks don't find a way to trade for Ja Morant.
The Bucks are one of the "other" teams that have been linked to Morant of late. Milwaukee doesn't have a ton of trade assets to offer Morant, but desperation could offer the Bucks much more motivation to get a deal done compared to a team like the Heat.
The thinking here is that if the Bucks could find a way to acquire Morant, Giannis would be less likely to demand a trade and perhaps would even sign an extension with the team this summer.
It's far from a guarantee, but it would certainly give the Bucks a better chance of that playing out during the offseason.
Disaster could be awaiting the Heat this summer
And should that happen, it'd be devastating for the Heat's hopes of striking big during the summer.
In fact, there's an argument to be made that the Heat have been largely building toward Giannis hitting the trade block. Whether that's a smart plan or not is a conversation in itself, but it's pretty clear that's been the vision for the team.
Should Giannis sign an extension with the Bucks, instead of demanding a trade or refusing to sign an extension (which would act as a trade demand without him having to flat-out say it), the Heat would find themselves back at square one.
Considering how much this front office has been trying to sell the fan base on this vision, this is the last thing that the Heat needs to unfold over the next few months.
But this is the name of the game that the Heat have elected to play from a team-building standpoint. As long as they continue to bottom out and rebuild from the ground up, this is the risky game that they almost have to keep playing.
In fairness to the Heat, it's worked out a few times over the past couple of decades. And, if they can manage to pull it off again, the Heat will be back right where they want to be.
Of course, the problem is, there's a greater likelihood that it won't work than it will. And if the Bucks can find a way to swing a trade for Morant, it significantly drops their already low chances of this all working out how they want it to.