What would the Miami Heat’s best trade offer look like for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo? (Mandatory Credit: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks was a ticking time bomb. At 18-27, the Bucks are falling out of the race for the play-in in the weakest Eastern Conference in recent memory. And Antetokounmpo’s latest injury suggested there wasn’t going to be a conceivable path for them to stay relevant.
According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, the Bucks are finally willing to listen on trade proposals regarding the two-time MVP. Well, if a star’s on the trade block, the Miami Heat are going to have interest. In Antetokounmpo’s case, the Heat have been eyeing for him for a half-decade.
That said, Charania noted that the Bucks aren’t in any rush to trade Antetokounmpo ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. But if they do, the price tag is expected to be a, “blue-chip young talent and/or a surplus of draft picks.” In that case, what is the Heat’s best trade package? Let’s examine!
What is Heat’s best offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo?
(Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger/AP Photo)
The Miami Heat are currently $7.2 million below the first-apron, where they are hard-capped, while the Bucks are $17.2 million below the first apron. The Heat only have two tradable first-round picks (2030, 2032) with swaps available in 2026, 2029 and 2031.
As we went over in the summer, outside of Bam Adebayo — theoretically the primary attraction for Antetokounmpo — the Heat’s most tradable assets include Kel’el Ware, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic, who currently has a poison pill contract, plus Norman Powell. Here would be among the best Heat offers they could offer for Giannis, assuming he’s the only player coming back to the Heat:
Heat Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Bucks Receive: Ware, Herro, Jaquez, Norman Powell, 2 First-Round Picks (2030, 2032), 3 swaps
In this very fake proposal, Milwaukee would receive a potential blue-chip prospect (Ware), an extension-eligible player in Jaquez, an expiring contract (Powell) and a one-time All-Star in Herro.
If the Heat don’t want to get rid of Powell and/or Jaquez, they could also add Jovic’s deal, even though there’s complications with his poison pill, Davion Mitchell and/or Kasparas Jakucionis.
How could the Heat potentially sweeten their best package?
This is where Andrew Wiggins’ $28.2 million price tag factors in.
While the Bucks reportedly “covet” Wiggins last offseason, a way for the Heat to unlock two more additional first-round picks would be acquiring a 2027 first-round pick, which the Warriors, for example, have access to. The Heat do not own their 2027 first-round pick, as a result of the Terry Rozier trade.
With those lottery protections that could roll into 2028, they cannot trade their 2026, 2027, 2028 or 2029 picks outright. However, should they acquire a 2027 pick, they would be able to move their 2026, 2028, 2030 and 2032 first-round picks.
Thus, if the Heat acquired, say, Jonathan Kuminga plus Buddy Hield and a 2027 first-round pick for Wiggins, they would far more ammo they could offer in an Antetokounmpo deal — whether it’s completed over the next eight days or this summer.
What would be the most you’d be willing to give in a deal for the nine-time All-Star? Let us know in the comments!
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