At least to a certain extent, it was somewhat shocking that the Miami Heat didn't sign any of the Giannis Antetokounmpo brothers after they traded for the superstar forward earlier this offseason. Even more so, considering it has felt as if the Heat have some roster spots to spare.
But that decision, which was cemented by Thanasis signing a contract to play basketball in Greece, speaks volumes about how serious the Heat - and Giannis - are about winning a championship in the next few years.
Interestingly enough, the overwhelming belief was that once the Heat acquired Giannis, it was assumed that, at the very least, Thanasis was following shortly after. It just never happened. And it does send a strong message about the respect that Giannis has for the Heat's front office.
During his time in Milwaukee, Giannis was all about building his legacy. Part of that included his brothers, both Thanasis and Alex, spending time with the Bucks organization. But since his move to the Heat, it's been all about business. Or, perhaps most importantly, all about winning. That's the goal.
And it seems that Giannis has given the liberty of building the roster as they see fit to the Heat's front office, unlike in Milwaukee.
Giannis has been all business during his time with the Heat
It's championship or bust for Giannis with the Heat. Everyone knows that, and this small move just proves that even more.
And, at least in part, that's one of the bigger reasons why the Heat have stood firm in their stance not to bring in any of his brothers. That's not a knock on his brothers or the Bucks, but the Heat have a plan for how they want to build around Giannis, and they're not going to let anything get in the way of that.
Not even a personal preference from Giannis' camp.
Sure, you'd imagine that Giannis had to sign off on this path that the Heat are taking, but it's certainly noteworthy. Because even in the end, Giannis wanted his brothers to be part of the Bucks organization. That's why they were.
That just hasn't been the case in Miami. That tells me Giannis has let the Heat's front office work and do its job the way they want to.
Would the Heat have signed Thanasis if Giannis requested it? Probably so. However, the fact that it didn't happen is a bigger deal than most will admit.
Giannis is all about winning in Miami, just as he should be.
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