The Miami Heat's master plan may not be Giannis Antetokounmpo after all. Because there are some tea leaves that are beginning to form that suggest their true target may be Nikola Jokic, whether it's via trade or when he can hit free agency in 2027.
As odd as it may seem to fans, it wouldn't be that surprising.
Miami radio host Brendan Tobin has floated the idea that the Heat could be lining things up for a potential Jokic pursuit in 2027. Tobin brings up how the Heat continue to speak to maintaining flexibility and cap space for 2027, all while giving Nikola Jovic, an unproven player, an early contract extension.
You may ask why that matters. Well, it's simple. Jovic and Jokic share the same agent. The Heat could be scratching the agent's back here for a favor potentially later on. As crazy as all this may sound, this is eerily similar to the Heat lining things up to when they pursued LeBron James and Chris Bosh in 2010.
All this is speculative, but it's certainly interesting to say the least. And, honestly, this entire idea would make even more sense if Miami isn't able to pry Giannis out of Milwaukee this summer.
The Heat could be eyeing a big move for Nikola Jokic
As much as fans may not want to admit it, Jokic is likely going to be the pivot from a narrative point of view if the Heat swing and miss on Giannis this summer.
If there's even a remote chance that Jokic could be open to the idea of leaving Denver, I can't imagine Miami would burn their flexibility to potentially eliminate themselves from this possibility.
Of course, there are a lot of moving parts to this pipe dream plan, but it wouldn't be outrageous for it to happen.
In theory, the Nuggets' future hasn't looked any more bleak than it does right now. Especially if they're not able to fight back from a 3-2 series deficit against the Timberwolves. Denver is not in a place where they have a ton of flexibility to further improve the roster, and that could seriously turn off Jokic from signing an extension with the team this summer.
If Jokic wanted to put maximum pressure on the Nuggets' front office, entering the 2026-27 NBA season with an extension in place would be one way to do so. And, at that point, he might as well just test free agency in 2027.
And the Heat, along with many other teams, would greatly appreciate that. They'd 100 percent make it their next "plan in place."
Much of this is speculation, but, again, it's not out of the realm of possibility. Especially considering the way the Heat likes to operate. And where it's seen the most success.
Riley made his name in Miami by pulling off one of the best free-agency heists in NBA history back in 2010. Maybe he's looking for an encore in 2027, with Jokic at the center of it all.
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