The Miami Heat may really be about to watch Giannis Antetokounmpo be traded to their bitter rival, the New York Knicks. If Giannis gets what he wants, especially now that he's discussing his future with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Knicks probably have a clear path toward acquiring Giannis. And there may not be much that the Heat can do.
The recent reporting suggests that Giannis wanted to be traded to the Knicks this past offseason, but New York didn't feel the need to make a roster-gutting offer. So they stood pat.
The Heat have an uphill climb to break into the Giannis sweepstakes.
Now that there are rumblings that Giannis is open to a trade again, the Knicks are likely to be at the top of his preferred landing spots. If there's any solace that a team like the Heat could be looking for, it's that, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, Giannis could be open to playing for other teams beyond just the Knicks.
That's where a team like Miami can find a sliver of hope.
Still, I'd have to imagine that the Knicks would have to be considered the overwhelming favorites to land Giannis. Assuming that he still wants to play in New York, they'd be absolutely foolish to fumble this situation for a second time.
They can't seemingly say no twice to Giannis, right?
The Heat would certainly be one of the teams hoping for that to happen. Because, in theory, Giannis is the one pipe dream that the front office has been waiting to wiggle free out of Milwaukee.
And now that it's finally happening, it would be an absolute shame if the Heat didn't have at least a shot to put their best offer on the table for Giannis.
Even though it's hard to envision a path in which the Heat are able to land Giannis, especially with the outside competition that will likely emerge over the next few weeks, not having a chance to pitch both the All-Star forward and the Bucks would be absolutely gut-wrenching.
The Heat weren't willing to go all-in for Giannis this past summer in part because of the possibility that a bigger superstar would become available in the near future. Well, we might have finally arrived at that moment for the Heat.
They bet on the hope that a player like Giannis would hit the block one day. The Heat have been proven right. Now, the question is, can they close the deal and beat out a heavy favorite like the Knicks?
If not, they're going to see their pipe dream superstar target walk right over to their biggest rival.