The Miami Heat have failed to land the big stars they are consistently rumored to acquire via trade. In the 2023 offseason, the team was reportedly heavily interested in Damian Lillard and last summer, reports said the team pushed hard to acquire Kevin Durant. Miami fell short of adding either of those guys but now, a superstar may hit the trade market this season.
Bleacher Report released an article, giving bold trade deadline predictions for every NBA franchise. The Heat's prediction: the team will trade for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
"The Miami Heat have been in the star business for about as long as Pat Riley's been with the organization," the article wrote. "And right now, with apologies to Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, they don't really have the kind of perennial All-NBA threat they typically do. At least not yet. With Western Conference teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs understandably keen on what they're already building and the New York Knicks light on assets (thanks to past blockbusters for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns), Giannis Antetokounmpo's trade market may not be as robust as one might expect."
In terms of compensation, Pat Riley has made it clear he prefers to keep his younger assets. However, to get a player of Antetokounmpo's caliber, he will definitely have to part with multiple of those players along with picks.
"And in that environment, Miami could put together a pretty intriguing package that could include Herro, Kel'el Ware, one or two other young players and multiple future first-round picks," the article wrote. "The Milwaukee Bucks have started playing better since Giannis returned to the lineup from injury, and in spite of him saying he'll never make a firm trade request (more on that in a bit), Miami feels like one of those locations that could make a "list." In that scenario, a haul like the one laid out above could tip off a strong rebuild in Milwaukee."
Tyler Herro seems like the most logical candidate to be dealt considering his contract situation. Coming off his All-Star season, Herro suffered a injury before his Oct. contract extension deadline. He currently sits on the roster without a real idea of his future with the franchise. Kel'el Ware would almost certainly need to be included too and he would be the most valuable piece of the deal considering his rookie contract.
Either way, a trade for Antetokounmpo will not be cheap but that is the price to pay for a superstar.
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