After getting bounced as the No. 10 seed in the Play-In tournament, the Miami Heat will presumably be looking to make a franchise-swinging deal this offseason. There will be a plethora of big-name stars available in trade discussions this summer.
Bleacher Report released an article, highlighting three potential trade targets for every NBA franchise. The Heat's first target: Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
"Team president Pat Riley has plans to go big-name hunting, again, after the Miami Heat got bounced during the play-in tournament," the article wrote. "As a founding member of the 'Hoping Giannis Antetokounmpo Requests Out' club, they need to base anything they do this offseason around his availability. They can't come close to building the best package, but Kel'el Ware's ascent plus the prospect of Giannis scuttling a move to the West Coast help a great deal."
Antetokounmpo is one of the best players in the entire league and players of his caliber don't usually hit the trade block. If there is any way the team can acquire him, it would take a lot of compensation. If Miami still wants to target another superstar-level player, Bleacher Report also suggests Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
"Donovan Mitchell seems like a YOLO inclusion," the article added. "He becomes more realistic if the Cleveland Cavaliers get bounced before the Eastern Conference Finals. Mitchell isn't getting moved unless he forces the issue, which he'd presumably only do to join a more ready-made contender. Whether the Heat qualify is arguable. That shouldn't stop them from monitoring the situation."
Mitchell has been phenomenal for the Cavaliers since joining the franchise in 2022. However, the team has not gotten over the playoff hump and there are rumblings he could request a trade this offseason. The final suggestion provided by Bleacher Report is Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard.
"After Giannis and Spida, the Heat are best suited gravitating toward higher-profile players who don't bankrupt their asset stores or crack at absurd flexibility in 2027," the article concluded. "Hello, Contract Year Kawhi Leonard. As someone who doesn't need screens to generate his own buckets but can run more traditional sets with Bam Adebayo or Kel'el Ware, he fits whatever iteration of the offense Miami is running. Miami is also one of the franchises to which you can envision him getting traded and not threatening to retire."
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!