A trade with the Golden State Warriors, that would gift the Miami Heat an additional first-round pick, could be exactly what they need to cement themselves as a realistic landing spot for Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
According to multiple reports, including Jake Fischer, the Warriors and Heat have discussed a trade that would send Andrew Wiggins back to Golden State in a package centered around Jonathan Kuminga. The big question is whether a first-round pick would also be going out to Miami or not.
Because that would be the key to the Heat being motivated to make this move, and it could theoretically play a big role in the team's pursuit of Giannis.
The Heat need an additional first-round pick to seriously pursue Giannis now
As things currently stand, the Heat only has two first-round picks to include in an offer for Giannis. That's not enough. Even if the Heat were to include all of their young trade chips on the table, it's going to take more than two first-round picks for Milwaukee to accept a deal.
Could Giannis apply pressure behind the scenes in an attempt to push a deal across? Sure, but I still don't think it would be enough for the Bucks to feel forced to make a deal just for the sake of moving on now.
But if the Heat were to come to the trade table with all their young pieces, three first-round picks, and pick swaps, then that conversation gets that much more interesting. Or, at least, it should.
That's why these trade discussions between the Warriors and the Heat are supremely important. They could very well be the difference in the Heat being able to make a substantial offer for Giannis now, or whether they'll have to wait (and hope) until the offseason.
Are the Warriors willing to help the Heat?
The other complicated layer to all this is the fact that if Giannis is seemingly available, the Warriors would almost certainly be interested. Whether they have the assets that the Bucks will be looking for is a very real question, but the interest would be there.
If this were the reality that would play out, why would the Warriors be so willing to help the Heat improve their offer for Giannis? That could throw another unexpected wrench in the Heat's trade deadline gymnastics.
At this point, it's almost impossible to predict what will transpire over the next week. However, it does appear that there's at least one scenario in which the Heat trades Wiggins to the Warriors in an attempt to beef up their offer for Giannis.
A little more than a week to the trade deadline, this is all becoming very real. And the Heat are right in the thick of it all.