The Miami Heat will be on the star hunt once again this offseason. But while Giannis Antetokounmpo is the goal, there are other stars who could also be on the table for Pat Riley and the Heat's front office.
As NBA insider Jake Fischer notes, Giannis is still the ultimate goal for the Heat, but Ja Morant could be back on the team's radar as a potential fallback plan this summer. You'd have to imagine that there may be a few other "star" players who could be in play for Miami, too.
One thing is clear, and it's that the Heat will be right back on the hunt for Giannis. Whether he actually will want to move on from Milwaukee this summer remains to be seen, but I can't imagine Miami intends on pivoting until he officially signs a long-term extension with the team.
He'll have the opportunity to do that this offseason, and if he does, that's the moment where we could see the Heat make an official pivot toward other trade targets.
Other stars who could be on the Heat's radar
If the Heat do end up exploring other non-Giannis options this summer, Morant is clearly the player they could also check on. But there are likely other players worth keeping an eye on as well. At least for now, the most intriguing possibility for the Heat's sake has to be Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell is a player that the Heat has been linked to before, and it could be decision time for him in Cleveland. The All-Star guard has just one guaranteed year left on his contract after this season, and if the Cavs are subjected to another early playoff exit, it could add even more doubt to his situation.
Quite frankly, at that point, if the Cavs do flame out in the first two rounds of the playoffs, Cleveland may push to shake things up a bit.
That doesn't guarantee that the Cavs and Mitchell would part ways with each other, but it could open the door slightly for the Heat. And with a renewed asset chest at their disposal, with the possibility to trade three or four future first-round picks, perhaps this is a move that they would be able to seal this time around.
Despite a heartbreaking trade deadline for Heat fans, it appears nothing is going to change when it comes to the front office's approach. For better or worse, the Heat will be back on the pursuit for another star player.
Will the offseason offer a better result for the Heat? Only time will tell.