Jason Burgos
While the Miami Heat will be serious contenders in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market this summer, a team insider believes two specific stars will be the backup plan. And both are injury-prone.
It has been a long-time since the Heat were a force in the Eastern Conference for several seasons in a row. Yes, they reached the playoffs six straight years before this season, and got to the NBA Finals in two of those years. However, they have also been in the NBA Play-in Tournament the last four seasons, and in 2026, they were unable to get through it and reach the playoffs. They have also won 50 or more games just once in the last decade.
While they have a great coach and some good players, they haven’t had a legit superstar since the days of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade in the early 2010s.
But they will go star hunting this summer. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, they were close to making a deal for Antetokounmpo in February, and will be one of the most motivated teams this offseason to complete a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.
However, the NBA insider also notes there will be even more teams involved in the trade chase this summer, including Western Conference teams that will “come out of the woodwork” to get a player they think can match up well with MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama.
Heat will pivot to Kawhi Leonard & Ja Morant trades if Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuit fails?
Getting a deal done will be hard, so the Heat must have backup plans in mind if they fail to complete a trade for the 11-time All-Star. This week, Miami insider Ira Winderman shed some light on two likely options during an appearance on 104.3 WQAM.
“Honestly, if they get a signal, it’s not going to be Giannis, I think they explore Kawhi [Leonard]. I think they explore Ja [Morant]. You can’t get stale, especially in this market,” Winderman said.
The Heat were linked to a Morant trade during the season because some in the organization believe they can get him back to the elite player he was three years ago. However, if they can’t, they would acquire a man who has looked like a shell of the All-Star he used to be when he actually plays, and brings off-the-court baggage. The biggest positive in a trade is that he won’t come at a high cost because his value is so low.
As for Leonard, he had a very good season in 2025-26 as he stayed healthy for much of the year. That has reportedly boosted his trade value. However, NBA fans are well aware of how the seven-time All-Star has been an injury waiting to happen the last five years. He won’t be as expensive to acquire as Antetokounmpo, but he is always one bad step away from missing months of the season.
