Many assumed that the Miami Heat would be in the running for Giannis Antetokounmpo because of a blue-chip prospect like Kel'el Ware or their combined value of a few of their young players and future draft capital.
Or, flatly, because Giannis would be open to a trade to Miami.
But, on the contrary, the reason why the Heat may still be considered the favorites for Giannis is that they have the ability to give the Milwaukee Bucks, in addition to the collection of young players and future draft capital, a sure-fire lottery pick in this year's NBA Draft.
That's something that none of the other "contending" teams for Giannis (Boston, Minnesota, or Orlando) can do without the inclusion of a third or fourth team. Whether the national media is willing to believe it or not, that holds weight in Milwaukee.
As we’ve reported, the Bucks value the Heat’s 13th pick the most out of anything Miami is offering https://t.co/6hg7secRb9
— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) June 12, 2026
Heat can't win the Giannis sweepstakes with the 13th pick alone
And while that doesn't exactly guarantee anything for the Heat, it naturally gives them a strong starting position in negotiations with the Bucks. You'd have to think that, right now, that's where things stand. Milwaukee knows what Miami can offer, and is understandably intrigued by the 13th pick, perhaps more than anything else that the Heat can put in a package.
But that's just a starting point. The Heat need to build u on that, and prove that they can beat every other team's offers. That failure on the Heat's behalf is, at least in part, one of the biggest reasons why a Giannis trade hasn't happened yet.
That's where a potential deal gets sticky, especially if it's portrayed that a team like the Boston Celtics is willing to go all-in for Giannis. If they were to include Jaylen Brown in a deal, even if it needs the complexities of a third and fourth team, it would be extremely hard, if not downright impossible, for a team like the Heat to beat such an offer.
The only saving grace right now is that we don't know that for certain. The Celtics' level of interest in Giannis is a huge question mark at this point. It may be there, it may not be.
At this point, I don't think there's any question that the Celtics are certainly poking around Giannis. Whether they'd be willing to pay the price for Giannis remains to be seen.
If they aren't ready to break up Jayson Tatum and Brown, though, that would almost certainly put the Heat back in the driver's seat. And the Heat's ownership of the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft is one, perhaps somewhat surprising, reason why.
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