Giannis Antetokounmpo has been a pipe dream trade target for the Miami Heat since 2020, and the stars may finally be aligning in their favor as the smoke surrounding his potential availability continues to develop heading into this next trade season.
I wouldn't expect the Heat to be considered the "favorites" for Giannis in the event that he were to hit the trade block, but it'd be foolish to suggest that Miami isn't going to play at least some factor in his sweepstakes.
As NBA insider Jake Fischer notes, the Heat have had interest in Giannis since 2020, when there were some whispers that he was eyeing a move to Miami or Dallas. In the end, the Milwaukee Bucks made the necessary all-in moves to persuade him to keep trusting the process. It resulted in a championship in 2021, but much of that magic is gone.
A Giannis trade could be closer than many believe
As Fischer also reiterates, it does feel as if the writing is on the wall for Giannis. Who knows when or where to, but it does feel as if we're slowly inching closer to the Bucks trading their superstar forward.
It may make the most sense to wait until the offseason to trade Giannis, but I'm not sure he'll be willing to be that patient, especially if this season continues to look disastrous. At 31 years old, I'm not sure Giannis is that excited about throwing away another prime year of his career.
Nevertheless, given how a potential market for Giannis could develop, the Heat should feel good about their chances.
The Heat might be the best landing spot for Giannis
Looking across the league, the Heat do seem like one of the best landing spots for Giannis on paper. Assuming that the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs aren't going to be willing to gut their young teams for a 31-year-old superstar, that leaves the likes of the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Heat as the most prominent landing spots for Giannis.
Sure, you'll have your dark horse teams interested, perhaps like the Brooklyn Nets or even the Atlanta Hawks, who have been discussed as an interesting suitor, but there's a good chance that the Heat would headline (as the team with the most assets) the group of most preferred landing spots for Giannis.
It's the worst-kept secret in the world that Giannis would want to be traded to the Knicks if it came to that. However, they may not be in the best position (or all that willing) to pounce on such a move.
That leaves the Heat in a great spot to finally see their long-time wishes of acquiring Giannis come to fruition.