If the Miami Heat's offseason pursuit for Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to be successful, they're going to need a little help. And it finally appears as if Giannis may be ready to offer that lifeline for the Heat, or another team that may be high on his wishlist.
According to Sam Amick, there's an expectation that Giannis is going to “put his foot on the scale” in hopes of getting traded to a team he wants to play for. In many ways, this is exactly what the Heat has been waiting for.
Looking back at this past year's NBA Trade Deadline, there's reason to believe that if Giannis had done this before, he would already be a member of the Heat. At least for Miami, the hope is that the possibility hasn't slipped through their fingers.
Where would the Heat rank on Giannis' wishlist?
While this whisper is certainly music to the Heat's ears, the big caveat is that Miami needs to be considered at the top of Giannis' wishlist. And that's far from a foregone conclusion
To a certain extent, you'd have to assume that Miami would be on it somewhere, but the question is, are the Heat high enough where Giannis would push toward them?
It's hard to say confidently one way or another. It's been reported in the past that Giannis has been interested in Miami. But, if we're going by past reporting, it's the New York Knicks that are front and center for Giannis.
If they're not as interested in Giannis, that could certainly change things. It's at that point where it wouldn't be that outlandish for Giannis to push for a trade to Miami. That has to be the hope for the Heat's front office heading into the offseason.
The Giannis bidding war is expected to be thorough, but if he looks to thin that out with some applied pressure, it could certainly change everything. Especially for a team like Miami.
If that were to be the case, the Heat wouldn't have to outbid everyone; just beat out a list of a couple of suitors that Giannis would give the green light to.
The Heat need Giannis closure, one way or another
But no matter what happens over the next few months, the good news for the Heat is that they're going to get some much-needed Giannis closure either way. Whether they land Giannis or not, this is the important part in all this.
In many ways, the front office needs to move on. Either with Giannis, or without him.
This has been a consistent criticism from the fan base in recent months. They either want the Heat to close the deal on Giannis (which is, admittedly, easier said than done) or to move on to other offseason plans.
For better or worse, the hope is that all this will be settled sooner rather than later. And if Giannis is truly ready to play ball, the game just might've completely changed for the Heat.
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