While the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes rage on for at least one more day this season, the Miami Heat have been the one team talked about the most and linked to the Milwaukee Bucks superstar the longest.
Of course, when it's all said and done, that could mean absolutely nothing, at least, for the time being, provided Giannis doesn't get traded elsewhere. Suppose Miami were to lose out on Giannis at the trade deadline, that doesn't mean they won't attempt another pursuit in the offseason should Giannis remain in Milwaukee this season.
Right now, however, there does appear to be a significant roadblock standing between the Heat and their coveted prize: the Bucks aren't interested in what Miami is offering, or has to offer. According to NBA Insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, this is the problem the Heat face at the present time.
Bucks aren't interested in dealing with Heat, and Tyler Herro could be why
With the young assets the Heat have in their pockets — Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Pelle Larsson, to name a few, whichever of them Miami might be willing to let go of in a trade for Giannis, it's highly likely that Tyler Herro is also part of the package.
Reportedly, Milwaukee isn't interested in whatever package it may be, which likely includes Herro. That can mean one thing: Herro isn't of interest to the Bucks, and considering that Miami isn't moving off Bam Adebayo at this time, the Heat don't really have much more to offer other than Herro.
According to Siegle, any trade talks between the two organizations haven't gone far enough to reach the precipice of a likely trade, and while he didn't directly name Herro, Siegle's comments on ClutchScoops suggest this could be the case.
“The Miami Heat are focusing on other avenues at this point. They’ve been told from the Bucks angle that they are not in the sweepstakes before this trade deadline for Giannis Antetokounmpo,” Siegel said.
There's no reason to believe this can't be Herro-related, as the star's trade value isn't that high right now, and it may be due to the season he's having and the injuries he's had to deal with. That said, Herro is actually one of Miami's top scoring threats and offensive weapons, even though his numbers have taken a dip this year.
The former All-Star is averaging 21.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 49.7% from the field (a career-best) and 35.8% from three (a career-worst). Herro has also missed over 35 games this season for the Heat and is still dealing with a rib injury. Herro could benefit from a change of scenery, but Milwuakke dooesn;t appear to be the destination.