Are the Miami Heat the favorites to make a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade? Some new rumors seem to suggest that it is quickly becoming the case.
One of the biggest stories in the NBA right now is about the future of the two-time NBA MVP. After an 11-15 start to the season, rumors have emerged that Antetokounmpo could soon ask for a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks.
If the team makes it a wide-open sweepstakes for the nine-time All-Star, the assumption is that many teams around the NBA would jump into the chase. Or maybe not. In a new report from Sam Amick of The Athletic, there is good reason for quite a few of the assumed Antetokounmpo contenders to pass on a trade this season.
The New York Knicks are one of the teams most linked to the forward, but Amick believes that after winning 15 out of their last 19 games, and with no interest in putting a player like Jalen Brunson in a potential trade, the organization may decide to go forward with a group they legitimately feel can win a championship this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo stats: 28.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 6.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.9 BPG
The Oklahoma City Thunder have the players and draft chips to make any deal. But they currently own a 24-1 record despite not having Jalen Williams for much of the first month, and they are on pace to break the record for most wins in a season. “If that doesn’t qualify as an if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it situation, I don’t know what does,” Amick writes.
The San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are also viewed as likely contenders for Antetokounmpo. However, the NBA insider suggests that with both teams playing really well, and very high on their young cores, there is currently no motivation for either to remodel their roster to get the future Hall of Famer.
Miami Heat can make strong trade offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo
This all puts the Miami Heat in a very strong position. They have been linked to every star that has been up for grabs in a trade over the last few years, including Antetokounmpo. While they have been solid this year, the 14-11 team clearly is not one that looks like it will go far this year. Giving them the motivation to make a deal.
They also have a serious chance for two reasons, according to Amick. “The Miami Heat are often handicapped by league insiders as a place that Antetokounmpo might be willing to call his new basketball home,” he writes. Which is important because there is a belief that he will be able to choose where he goes in a trade.
Plus, Miami can make a strong offer. They could put together a trade package that includes a boatload of draft assets, Tyler Herro, young big man Kel’el Ware, forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Terry Rozier’s contract as salary filler, if the NBA allows it.
