The Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors refuse to go away.
Many say that the Milwaukee Bucks’ re-signing Giannis’ brother Thanasis is a sign that Antetokounmpo is staying in Milwaukee.
But with the possibility of declaring free agency in 2027 when he will only be just 32 years old, many teams can’t stop fantasizing about having the Greek Freak on their team.
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Reportedly, one of those teams is the Miami Heat, which does not have that legit go-to guy since Jimmy Butler left. However, former Heat guard Mario Chalmers dismissed South Beach as a potential landing spot for Giannis.
“I don’t know, I just don’t see Giannis fitting, I don’t want to say ‘Heat Culture,’ but just the Heat team,” said Chalmers in an interview with Scoop B Robinson. “You have to put a lot of shooters around him on that team, which I think is doable, but I just don’t see him going.”
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The Heat don’t play Giannis’ pace
Last season, the Heat ranked 12th in the league in 3-pointers made and 11th overall in 3-point shooting percentage. However, with its second-best 3-point shooter, Duncan Robinson, gone, they could drop in that department.
And with Antetokounmpo needing floor-spacers to help get him the space he needs to operate, that’s what Chalmers was talking about.
On the other hand, Chalmers agreed that the Toronto Raptors would be a much better fit for Antetokounmpo if he were to change residences.
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“(They’re) more active, more of an up-and-down team. They got a bunch of young hungry guys that like to run and get up and down and that’s Giannis’ game,” added Chalmers.
More than the lack of outside shooters, perhaps the bigger issue for Giannis in Miami would be the pace. The Bucks ranked in the upper half in pace last season and in the Top 10 in each of the five years prior to that, including the number two spot in 2021 when they won the NBA title.
The Heat were in the bottom four last season.
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Raptors are young and hungry
The 2024-25 Toronto Raptors finished with a 30-52 record and were 11th in the Eastern Conference team standings. The Raptors ranked just 23rd in scoring and 18th in defense and adding Giannis would certainly go a long way in both.
They also ranked 11th in pace, which means they play at a pace that Chalmers says Giannis thrives in.
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With an average age of 25.3 on opening night last season, the Raptors have a young team that likes to run. They ranked fourth in the league last season in fastbreak points.
So once again, that checks the box for Giannis.
But while everything seems to be a fit for The Greek Freak, there is something he wants badly.
“Me not having a second championship – I look back at my career and everybody can say, 9Oh, incredible career, active Hall of Famer, first ballot, whatever.’ But me, my personal goal, if I am not able to help my team win a second ring, I’m letting myself down,” he said last April.
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Currently, the Raptors don’t have a championship roster. However, we’ve seen it before in Toronto.
Although the 2017-18 Raptors were a much better team than the current one, we saw an established star in Kawhi Leonard come in a lead the team to a title the following season. Not saying that it’s going to happen if Giannis goes to Toronto.
But it’s been done before.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.