The Miami Heat are expected to make a big move this offseason. There should be plenty of stars available in trade discussions but none are bigger than Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 10-time All-Star has been included in trade rumors all season and Miami reportedly was close to getting a deal done at February's trade deadline. However, the Bucks recently made a coaching change and it seems the team could be heading towards a rebuild by potentially moving Antetokounmpo this offseason.
ESPN's Bobby Marks released his offseason primer, highlighting everything there is to know regarding every NBA team's offseason outlook. For Miami, the article delved into what the salary constraints would be if a trade for Antetokounmpo were to occur.
"Because of Antetokounmpo's $58.5 million salary, Miami would need to send out at least $46.6 million in contracts," the article wrote. "To avoid the first apron hard cap, Miami could look at taking less money in a trade, a move than would then hard-cap Miami at the second apron. This scenario would give Miami the most flexibility to retain their own free agents after a potential blockbuster deal for Giannis."
In any deal for Antetokounmpo, the Heat would be parting with a ton of capital. The Heat definitely have the assets for a trade.
"The Heat have the sizable contracts of Tyler Herro ($33 million), Andrew Wiggins ($30.2 million after opting-in), Nikola Jovic ($16.2 million) and Davion Mitchell ($12.4 million)," the article added. "The Heat also have a group of players still on rookie contracts, including Kel'el Ware ($4.7 million), Jaime Jaquez Jr. ($5.9 million), Kasparas Jakucionis ($3.8 million) and Pelle Larsson ($2.4 million). Including its lottery pick in June, Miami can trade two additional first-rounders and can swap picks in five out of the next seven drafts."
Herro makes the most sense to be dealt given his current contract situation. He had a breakout campaign during the 2024-25 season, earning his first All-Star nod. However, he missed a lot of time this season and Pat Riley has been reluctant to hand him a contract extension. He is only under contract for one more season and Miami may want to deal him while he still has a solid amount of trade value.
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