The Miami Heat offseason has played out like a carefully scripted plan to preserve flexibility and assets just in case Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes available. Before they can even think about trading for him, though, they must first sell him on the idea of joining them. This indirect sales pitch can officially begin on Wednesday, November 26.
That marks the first time Miami will square off with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2025-26 regular season. It also just so happens to be the final Group Stage game of the NBA Cup.
What better way to (tacitly) recruit Giannis than by providing early proof that he continues to headline a non-contender, perhaps even a sinking ship?
The Heat can remind Giannis of the Bucks’ fragile window
Nobody should count on the two-time MVP barging into general manager Jon Hort’s office and demanding a trade to South Florida if Milwaukee loses a late-November game to Miami. The stakes of any NBA Cup game aren’t that high.
Still, the Bucks are traveling a slippery slope. They waived-and-stretched Damian Lillard to help make way for Myles Turner. In doing so, they acquired an ideal frontcourt partner for Giannis, but also tethered themselves to $22.5 million in dead money per season for the next half-decade.
This maneuver seems to have bought the Bucks another year to show Giannis they’re headed in the right direction. That doesn’t mean they actually are.
Most of the roster is populated by returning projects, wild cards, and Kyle Kuzma. Milwaukee’s supporting cast beyond its GOAT and Turner gives off placeholder vibes. The team seems at least semi-concerned with retaining its own flexibility until next summer, when it can include up to three first-round picks in a trade.
Even the most well-intentioned plans can go awry. And if the Bucks appear to be lagging behind a Heat squad caught somewhere between a gap year and rebuild, it increases the chances Giannis develops a wandering eye or two leading into the trade deadline, or over the 2026 offseason.
Consider this an audition for the Heat’s stars—and prospects
Facing Milwaukee isn’t just about Miami reminding Giannis of what he has. It’s also about showing him what he could have.
Imagine the defensive havoc a frontcourt featuring him and Bam Adebayo could wreak. And if Giannis is bent on remaining alongside a floor-spacing big, this would be Kel’el Ware’s time to shine.
No team with the 30-year-old megastar would be complete without a top-end perimeter running mate. Tyler Herro is fresh off an All-Star team. November 26 is the perfect chance for him to reiterate that it wasn't a fluke.
This game will be an opportune time to showcase some of the prospects and projects, too. They could be critical not only as inclusions in any eventual trade, but as contributors on a Heat-led Giannis team that just needed to ship out multiple bodies to get him.
There is no better early-season game in which rookie Kasparas Jakucionis could go off. Pelle Larsson spotlighting his does-dabs-of-everything offensive skill set would go a long way. Ditto for a Jaime Jaquez Jr. defensive masterclass coupled with medium- or high-volume three-point shooting.
To be clear: Showing out in this game doesn’t guarantee the Heat anything on the Giannis front. But when trafficking in superstar fantasies, every potential statement and advantage counts. This game is Miami’s opportunity to leave a lasting impression.