If the next few months play out perfectly as the Miami Heat hope they will, it will end with the team acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo during the offseason. According to NBA insider Michael Scotto, that's the team's dream scenario during the summer.
"Rival NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype believe the Heat’s dream scenario is acquiring Antetokounmpo if he becomes available over the summer, when they have more draft capital to include in a trade offer. "
This is not exactly breaking news if you've been closely following the Heat over the last couple of years. In fact, the Heat have been linked to Giannis for years now. It started back in 2020, when he was deciding whether to sign a long-term deal with Milwaukee or explore other options. Ultimately, Giannis decided to sign long-term with the Bucks, and it led to a championship in 2021.
The Heat have been waiting for their opportunity to pursue Giannis
Since then, though, the Heat have been keeping one eye on Giannis. They may have a real shot at him during the summer, when Giannis will have to make a similar decision about his future.
This time, though, there is wide speculation that expect Giannis and the Bucks to part ways. It's far from a guarantee, especially with the way Giannis has been speaking of late, but it's probably the closest we've ever been to this happening.
And the Heat know this.
That's part of the reason why they've been so hesitant to make any other big roster moves, including a potential all-out pursuit for Ja Morant.
At least for now, the Heat doesn't appear to be willing to include any real assets for Morant. In the event they need all hands on deck for a potential Giannis pursuit, it would be dubious to realize that they wasting a real chance at the superstar forward because of Morant.
That can't happen, and the Heat won't let it.
Considering how much the Heat has invested in a chance to trade for Giannis, it would be a shame if he suddenly hit the trade block and the team didn't have any pathway to land him.
Even though keeping the status quo isn't going to appease fans, it's probably the right move to make for now if it means a shot at Giannis in a few months.
There's no guarantee that the Heat will land Giannis if he's traded, but even the mere shot at him is worth all the risk in the world in Miami's eyes. At least for now, that's the dream scenario for the Heat heading into this upcoming offseason.