The Miami Heat are very happy they managed to pull off the move for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but, in retrospect, had they not, it's hard to envision how they would've successfully pivoted to another superstar player this summer.
The most natural plan B for the Heat this offseason was Kawhi Leonard. However, there was one big problem with that. One problem that, no matter how hard the Heat would've pursued, couldn't have been solved. It's the idea that, which is now well reported, Kawhi just didn't have much interest in playing for the Heat. At least not at this point in his career.
Most recently, it was NBA insider Marc Stein who reiterated this information, stating that while Kawhi had interest from trade suitors other than the Toronto Raptors, he wasn't interested in signing an extension with a team other than the Raptors or the San Antonio Spurs.
"Leonard made it known amid interest from trade suitors such as Miami, Minnesota, Detroit that he would only be interested in signing an extension with the Raptors or San Antonio (which did not pursue a trade for him)."
Kawhi Leonard was seeking something the Heat could've give him
Honestly, it's difficult to blame him.
At this stage of his career, it's become pretty clear that Kawhi was seeking familiarity. After being able to play for his hometown LA Clippers, if Kawhi was going to go down another route to end his career, he wanted it to be with a team he had a history with.
That's part of the reason why the Spurs and Raptors were the only two teams he was willing to sign an extension with. Even though both of those preferred destinations are quite surprising, especially given the way both of those chapters ended for him, you have to respect it.
Kawhi knows that the end up his career is inching closer and he has a plan of how he wants his NBA story to end. Whether the move to the Raptors will end up working out remains to be seen, but it explains perfectly why the Heat never had a shot at Kawhi.
Even though there's an argument to be made that the Heat and Kawhi would've been great for each other, it's not how the All-Star forward wanted to end his career. And, again, there's nothing that the Heat could've done to change that.
Because of that, the Heat should be awfully thankful that they did find a path to Giannis. Because if not Giannis, and with Kawhi seemingly off the table for them, it's hard to envision how they would've been able to successfully pivot to another mercenary star player this summer.
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