The Heat are “the team to watch” as trade talks surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo intensify, Brian Windhorst said Monday morning on ESPN’s “Get Up” during a panel discussion of the Bucks star (Twitter video link).
“Miami would say … well, we’ve got Tyler Herro, who is a young player who’s been an All-Star, we’ve got draft picks, including the 13th pick in this draft – we can give you a lottery pick in this draft – and Giannis, I think, wants to be in Miami,” Windhorst said. “There’s more checkmarks on Miami.”
A report last week from Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic listed Herro and the No. 13 pick as part of the Heat’s likely offer to Milwaukee, along with second-year center Kel’el Ware, Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Jaime Jaquez Jr. and two future first-rounders. However, Amick stated Friday on a radio show that Antetokounmpo has “questions” about the quality of Miami’s remaining roster if that deal were to go through.
Antetokounmpo is under contract for one more season at $58.5MM and holds a $62.8MM player option for 2027/28, so there’s some risk involved in trading for him if he’s not fully committed to staying with his new team.
The Bucks are reportedly hoping to resolve the Antetokounmpo situation before the draft begins on June 23, either by trading the 10-time All-Star or getting him to commit to a long-term extension that he’ll become eligible to sign later in the year. Numerous teams have been pursuing Antetokounmpo since the trade deadline or even longer, with the Heat being among the most aggressive.
During the discussion, Windhorst became the latest reporter to throw cold water on the idea that the Thunder might part with Chet Holmgren or Jalen Williams to acquire Antetokounmpo following their playoff loss or that the Celtics may get involved with a multi-team deal involving Jaylen Brown.
“The message that Oklahoma City is sending out is that they are not touching that core,” Windhorst said. “You can choose to not believe them if you want; they say they’re running it back.”
Regarding the Celtics, Windhorst stated, “I’m not sure Boston is ready to trade Jaylen Brown. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have won a championship together. I thought there was a decent chance we’d be in Boston right now for Game 3 of these Finals.”
