If you ask the Miami Heat's front office, they'll probably tell you that they didn't fail in their efforts to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo via trade; they were just placed on pause. But even if there's some semblance of truth to that, it should not stand as a viable excuse for the team's lack of activity at the NBA Trade Deadline.
It's already been suggested by some national reporters, and hinted at by local ones, but there's a sense the Heat will continue to pursue Giannis again this summer.
Is there a chance that the Heat could find themselves right back in a bidding war for Giannis this summer? Absolutely. However, it's going to be far more difficult to beat out a list of suitors that will extend far beyond just Golden State, Minnesota, and New York.
And assuming that is the case, they're going to need every possible draft asset they can get. Trading Norman Powell and/or Andrew Wiggins, who could both test free agency this summer, before the deadline would've been a starting point.
Instead, the Heat decided to stand pat and do nothing. A move that should be viewed as inexcusable.
The Heat are unlikely to give up on their Giannis pipe dream
Sure, there's reason to believe that the Heat may need Wiggins' salary number in a hypothetical deal for Giannis during the summer, but there's no guarantee that he won't opt out this summer. He has a player option for next season, but there's a chance he could seek a multi-year deal over opt-in, especially if he feels he could be traded at some point.
Unless the Heat has some assurances that have not been reported, it'd be awfully foolish of them to assume that level of risk when they don't have to.
Who's to say what the Heat could've gotten for Wiggins (or Powell) at the deadline, but something is better than nothing.
So when the Heat say that they didn't want to make a rash move with their Giannis hopes not completely dead, that's fine. That's not that surprising. However, what makes it frustrating is that there was a potential avenue to acquire another asset or two to prepare for the Giannis pursuit this summer.
They elected not to do that. And that decision doesn't line up with the Heat's desire to make an all-in move for Giannis this summer, and that disconnect is why many fans are up in arms right now.
Right now, it feels like the front office doesn't have a clear direction of what they want, and that's a problem.
They want to develop a young core, but don't have the blue-chip prospects. They want to win now, but don't have the talent to do so. They want to go "star hunting" without the "star-hunting" currency.
Miami is only fooling itself. And if they think they're going to win a Giannis sweepstakes this summer, especially with the teams that could end up joining a pursuit in a few months, they may be in for a rude awakening.
The Heat has made some mistakes in the past, but this year's trade deadline may be the one that pushes many fans beyond the point of return.
Maybe they manage to land Giannis this summer, and none of this will matter in the end, but it's just hard to envision that happening right now.