The Miami Heat may be one step closer to their Giannis Antetokounmpo pipe dream coming together because, according to Marc Stein, "there was a strong belief leaguewide that a long-anticipated Giannis trade will finally happen this offseason."
With how much time and effort they've invested in Giannis pursuit, you'd have to imagine the Heat will factor into the Giannis sweepstakes one way or another this summer. Whether they'll be able to emerge as the team with the best trade offer remains to be seen, but there's no question that this is an encouraging update for the Heat's front office.
Stein also states that the relationship between Giannis and Milwaukee management may be in a worse spot than most believed.
The Heat are all-in on Giannis Antetokounmpo
No matter what has been said in the past or after what transpired at this past year's NBA Trade Deadline, it's clear that things are certainly trending toward a Giannis trade - and sooner rather than later.
The Heat have certainly bet on that possibility.
And whether Heat fans are completely on board with this plan or not, it does seem as if the front office is still laser-focused on this blueprint. It's certainly a big risk, and if it doesn't pay off, there will be serious questions to be answered about where the franchise goes from here.
But especially with how close this appears to be to coming to fruition, it would be insane for the Heat to eject now.
Seemingly, the front office appears to like their chances of pulling this off. And if they do, it would completely change the outlook for a franchise that desperately needs a shake-up.
The Heat could be the big winners of the offseason
If the Heat were to pull off a move to land Giannis, it would certainly make them the big winners of the NBA offseason. They'd immediately break out of mediocrity and simultaneously quickly rise into championship contention in the Eastern Conference.
Sure, the front office would still have to figure out how to build a supporting cast around Giannis, especially if the team is gutted in their pursuit, but this is a franchise that has proven more than capable of doing that.
For decades, the Heat has built its future plans on landing stars. That won't change at all with eyes on Giannis heading into the offseason.
The question is, can they pull it off this time around? In the recent past, the Heat hasn't had much luck in doing so and has received its fair share of criticism in the process. But, as history remembers, it only takes one.
And it does appear as if Giannis is not necessarily the pipe dream scenario that many believed it once was for the Heat.