Dave Hyde: Can the Miami Heat really pull off a trade for Giannis?
· Yahoo Sports
As the hours close in on Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, there’s only one question to ask if you’re a Miami Heat fan:
Can Pat Riley really pull this off?
It sounds so improbable.
Do the Heat have as realistic a shot at Giannis Antetokounmpo as suggested nationally?
This would prove the most shocking move of Riley’s time, considering what the Heat president can offer.
Enough with the naive sentiment urging Riley to do this deal. Enough with those demanding the Heat spend whatever it takes to land Giannis.
Aren’t you paying attention? The Heat are throwing everything on the roster at Milwaukee to make the trade, except center Bam Adebayo — and that’s an integral part of making the trade work, too.
Think Giannis wants to come to an empty team? Think he’d approve a deal to a franchise that doesn’t have one legitimate star like Adebayo?
The issue here is whether Milwaukee wants to trade Giannis for what the Heat, Minneapolis, Golden State or the New York Knicks are offering at the trade deadline or hang on to him until the summer. Maybe more teams would be involved if they wait. Maybe the market for him improves.
Maybe, too, Giannis gets hurt again in March and his trade value diminishes a bit more. Oh, that’s the risk here. He’s been out a couple of times with a calf injury this year. He went out injured in the first round of the 2023 playoffs against the Heat. He has dealt with sore knees and a sprained wrist, too. What star doesn’t have some dings after 13 years?
But Giannis has played at least 61 regular-season games in each of his previous 12 seasons. He’s averaging 28 points and 10 rebounds this season. Bottom-line: He’s one of the league’s top five players stuck on a bad team and wants out.
Milwaukee needs him out, too. That’s how bad their situation is. The NBA salary-cap and rules pertaining to trading draft picks can sound complicated. But this isn’t: Milwaukee wants young players and draft picks and the Heat have pushed their roster across the table to Milwaukee and told it to take anyone they want starting with Tyler Herro and Kel’el Ware.
They’re the headliners. Some first-round draft picks would be included, like the Heat’s in 2030 and 2032 unless they can trade someone (Andrew Wiggins?) for a 2027 first-rounder. That would help the deal for Giannis.
Finally, the Heat could ask Milwaukee to take two of the following: Pelle Larsson, Jaime Jacquez Jr. or Nikola Jovic.
You can’t question why Riley doesn’t throw more into the offer for a talent like Giannis. He has nothing more to offer except some “15 Strong” cards left over from Tuesday night’s 20th anniversary of their 2006 champions.
Shaquille O’Neal, the center on that team, represents Riley’s greatest trade to date. The Heat offered an All-Star in Lamar Odom, a future All-Star in Caron Butler and a veteran pro like Brian Grant for Shaq and got a title. This trade offer for Giannis doesn’t match that talent.
If the Heat can pull this off, the immediate upside is tantalizing, too. Think of the Heat’s starting lineup. Giannis. Adebayo. Norman Powell and his 21.8-point average. Davion Mitchell and his three-to-one assist-to-turnover average. And, well, whoever else survives the trade and can fill a good role.
The Heat can challenge for the East with that starting lineup (and some good health). That’s a measured rise from being a play-in team this year. They could then build around Giannis in the offseason in the manner they did with Shaq or LeBron James or Jimmy Butler.
Is there another way to build? Sure, you can take a chance on mercurial Memphis guard Ja Morant. Maybe the Heat have to do that if this Giannis deal doesn’t work. They’ve taken career question marks like Butler, Anthony Mason and Tim Hardaway and helped them turn around careers.
The only other way is the path the Heat rightfully refuse to go down: They refuse to be bad for a few years to get high draft picks. Does anyone want that?
Giannis is the whale that Riley wants right now. Milwaukee can’t expect to get equal talent for one of the game’s greats. You never do in a trade like this. So, Milwaukee’s choice is to wait until summer or take one of the underwhelming offers out there for Giannis.
It makes you wonder: Can the Heat really pull this off?