Are the Miami Heat willing to take a risk on Ja Morant, even if it comes at the expense of having one less trade asset to use in the event that Giannis Antetokounmpo hits the trade block during the offseason? This is the one burning question that will largely dictate how the Heat operates at the deadline.
As ESPN's Bobby Marks echoes, the Heat can all but guarantee themselves Morant if they're willing to part ways with one of their first-round picks. However, with one less tradable draft pick in their arsenal, that could come at the expense of a fair shot at Giannis in the summer.
It's one of those balancing acts that won't be easy for the Heat's front office to navigate over the next eight days.
Does the Heat really think they have a good shot at Giannis?
Ultimately, this could all come down to whether or not the Heat genuinely believes they have a decent shot at trading for Giannis or not. Because if they believe they do, then this decision is pretty simple. As strong as the temptation may be to trade for Morant, you wait for Giannis 100 times out of 100.
The reward is that much greater with Giannis than it would be with Morant.
Of course, there's a huge risk that the Heat would be taking by making this decision. Because if the Heat does miss out on both Giannis and Morant, there's no telling when the next opportunity will come to land another superstar via trade.
Theoretically, the Heat should take that risk. However, that could be easier said than done, especially considering how mediocre this franchise has been without a superstar talent on its roster.
Even toward the end of the Jimmy Butler era, once he clearly wasn't himself anymore because of injury (or checked out), the Heat were average, at best, on most nights. That's absolutely the case now.
The Heat knows that if they want to break out of this rut, they need a superstar talent. Giannis and, to a lesser extent, Morant both represent that. To miss out on both would be a pretty brutal blow to the franchise.
How much of a gamble are they willing to take? Do they want to play the big stakes game for Giannis, hoping that A) he eventually breaks free from Milwaukee and B) that the Heat are able to compile the best trade offer for him, or would they much rather settle for the "safe" play of trading for Morant now?
On the surface, it may seem as if the decision may be easy.
However, when you consider the context and the team-building struggles that the Heat have faced recently, it may not be that simple.
But what you can bet on is that this decision will ultimately dictate the Heat's eventual trade deadline plans.