Everybody strap in. After weeks...Or months... Or years of talking like a man who doesn't want to be in Milwaukee )but never officially saying he doesn't want to be in Milwaukee), Giannis Antetokounmpo has finally admitted that he doesn't want to be in Milwaukee. Kind of.
The Miami Heat, always at the center of big NBA rumors, seem to be in the mix for Giannis. But this huge development in the Giannis saga might not actually help the Heat; if anything, it might cause them to miss out on Giannis entirely. Because right now, the Heat can offer just two first-round picks in a deal (thank you to Yossi Golzan of The Third Apron for that tidbit) but can offer four in the offseason.
I don't know the inner workings of the Bucks front office right now (other than it probably looking like the Spongebob meme where everything is on fire) but I am pretty confident in saying that two first-round picks isn't going to be nearly enough for Giannis Antetokounmpo, even if Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, and Andrew Wiggins are all included in the deal as well.
Thus, this news comes as thrilling and terrifying for Heat fans. The former because Giannis is legitimately available, and the Heat probably have the most comprehensive hypothetical package. The latter because that package can't be offered until the offseason, while teams like the Knicks or the Cavs can make their pitch in the next week. Are the Bucks willing to wait for Miami's deal, or will they panic and make a deal in the coming days for a lesser package just to end this once and for all?
Giannis (sort of) asks out of Milwaukee, and Miami could pounce
Well, in a few months anyway. And those few months are going to feel like years — specifically the days leading up to February 5th, as the league waits on the Bucks.
On Tuesday night, NBA insider Marc Stein wrote that, "Representatives from two more teams insisted to me Tuesday that they still believe a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade remains feasible before next week's deadline." on Wednesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Giannis is "ready for a new home," which feels like soft launching a trade request, but I digress.
So, here we are. If a Giannis trade happens in the next week, it likely won't involve the Heat. Basically, Heat Nation needs to pray that no more Giannis news drops in the next week. If it does, and the Heat are involved, then this team may make out with a generational superstar