Miami Heat fans should be bracing for only further disappointment if the recent trade speculation is accurate. In the words of NBA insider Bobby Marks, it may not make sense for the Heat to aggressively pursue Ja Morant without knowing what happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo during the offseason.
That may drive Heat fans crazy, even if it may, objectively, be the right move.
If the Heat believes they have any chance to land Giannis, that's, without question, the move they should be holding out for. But that could be a lot easier said than done, especially for a fan base that has been starving for change for years now.
The Heat aren't likely go aggressively pursue Ja Morant
And with Morant right there for the taking, likely attainable for pennies on the dollar, it would be an extremely difficult sell to the fan base that they're holding out, again, for a possibility that feels like a pipe dream scenario.
Nevertheless, you can almost bet that this is the path the front office is going to take heading into the trade deadline.
Unless there's a chance that the Heat can get Morant for the expiring contract of Terry Rozier and some of their middling pieces like Andrew Wiggins or Norman Powell, I can't see Miami going all-in on a pursuit.
Why would the Heat's front office risk burning assets that they'll need in an all-out pursuit of Giannis down the road? It doesn't make sense, no matter how tempting it might be to seek the big name on the trade market.
On the flipside, that could all change if the backchannels suggest that Giannis is going to sign an extension with the Milwaukee Bucks and will not hit the block during the summer.
Despite Giannis' recent comments, there remains a sense that Giannis is still going to hit the trade market at some point sooner - even if it isn't at this year's trade deadline.
That's what the Heat's front office is hoping for. For better or worse, that's how the team has operated over the last couple of decades. And credit to them, when it's worked, it's been a huge success.
But there have been too many times in which this philosophy has left the fan base up in arms. And, I'm afraid, we're trending down that same path this time around with the recent Morant trade buzz.
Is there a world where the Heat aggressively pursues Morant in the next few weeks? Absolutely, especially if the price does fall into their sweet spot. I just don't believe fans should be expecting it.