Austin Konenski
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are on the verge of a divorce. Antetokounmpo still has a shot at returning to Milwaukee; however, the organization reportedly wants a solution before the 2026 NBA Draft. In the scenario where the NBA superstar wants a trade from the Bucks, he will likely have a new home for the 2026-27 NBA season
This seems like a real possibility, so what would it actually take for Antetokounmpo to end up in Miami? Here is what needs to happen for the Miami Heat.
Giannis Antetokounmpo must request a trade with Miami as a destination
This all begins with Antetokounmpo. If the Heat want to pull off one of their best moves in the last 16 years, the Bucks forward must request a trade this summer. In fact, Antetokounmpo would more than likely need to list Miami as one of his preferred trade destinations to make it happen.
There will be a long list of teams looking to acquire Antetokounmpo during the 2026 NBA offseason, so the Heat need him to include them. This doesn’t mean Antetokounmpo has to say it is “Miami and only Miami,” but an organization will only trade for him with reassurance that it would end well.
For Antetokounmpo to leave Milwaukee, he would need a landing spot that makes him happy. The Heat figure to be one of those destinations, while other teams, like the New York Knicks, make sense too. Either way, Miami needs Antetokounmpo to have his eyes on the organization this summer.
If so, it comes down to Pat Riley and the Heat front office to finally bring another superstar to Miami.
Miami Heat needs to go all-in on trading for Antetokounmpo
One of the most popular narratives surrounding Miami has been its reluctance to include certain players in potential trades over the years. Several players have been involved in trade rumors ever since they arrived in Miami, but the team has left them out of talks to acquire difference makers. That has to change now.
The Heat must go all-in on trading for Antetokounmpo this summer. Bam Adebayo should be the only player truly off limits; however, everyone else should be on the table. This includes Tyler Herro and Ke’lel Ware, as both players would be intriguing for Milwaukee in a post-Antetokounmpo era.
Miami would also include all of its draft picks in this scenario. Needless to say, the Heat would likely have to give up most, if not all, of their assets. When a player like Antetokounmpo is on the market, that is the most likely outcome for a team looking to contend in the NBA Finals.
The Heat would build their team around Adebayo and Antetokounmpo, which should be enough to put them back in contention if everyone remains healthy. The only issue is that several other NBA organizations will feel the same way. Antetokounmpo will put them over the top.
Therefore, if Antetokounmpo has Miami as a preferred destination, it’s time for Riley and the front office to push all of their chips to the middle of the table.
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