The Brooklyn Nets could emerge as a surprise suitor for Giannis Antetokounmpo and end any hopes the Miami Heat has of landing the superstar forward. According to the New York Post, there's a belief that the Nets could seriously consider making an offer for Giannis.
Why is this such a problem for the Heat? Well, it's simple. Brooklyn has 10 current tradable first-round picks and some intriguing young talent, including Michael Porter Jr., at their disposal.
Is there a path in which the Heat could add another first-round pick to their current offer for Giannis? Sure. That would take them up to three tradable first-rounders, and maybe four. However, they wouldn't be able to compete if the Nets came crashing into the chase.
Would Giannis be willing to play for the Nets?
Again, it's not a foregone conclusion that the Nets would be willing to deviate from their rebuilding plans for a 31-year-old Giannis, but if there's any player they do it for, he's probably the one.
Another question that would need to be asked, even if the Nets were willing to go all-in with an offer, is whether Giannis would have any interest in playing for Brooklyn.
There's been reported interest from Giannis to play for the New York Knicks, but not much has been discussed about a potential relocation to Brooklyn. I'm sure there could be some interest, but we don't know for certain.
And, ultimately, that could be the big deciding factor in whether or not we see Brooklyn put an offer on the table or not.
The Heat needs for every domino to fall their way to secure Giannis
At this point, the Heat needs almost everything to fall their way to land Giannis. Not only do they need to find a path toward adding another first-round pick, but they also need Giannis to favor Miami over Golden State - and make that known to Milwaukee's front office.
And even then, as we have seen before, that doesn't guarantee that the Heat will be able to pull off a trade for Giannis.
The next few days are going to be stress-filled for any team that has hopes of landing Giannis before the NBA Trade Deadline. Including the Heat.
But, make no mistake, if there's one thing they're truly banking on - it's the fact that no other surprise team with a boatload of "better" assets begins to enter the trade pick over these last few days before the trade deadline.
The Nets are certainly one of those teams that, if they wanted, could end the Heat's realistic shot at Giannis.