The sweepstakes for star Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo are heating up.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported on his The Stein Line page Thursday that two teams are prominently mentioned in the Antetokounmpo race.
"Two teams have come up frequently in recent days in our conversations with various teams around the league that are either in direct pursuit of Antetokounmpo or closely following the situation," Stein said.
More: Knicks reportedly discussed Giannis trade last summer
ESPN's Shams Charania said Wednesday that Antetokounmpo is "ready to find for a new home," and that the Bucks are assessing his trade market ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Stein said the Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves are the top suitors for Giannis, with Miami holding the edge.
"The Heat, of course, are a natural leading suitor in this discussion," he said.
Stein believes the Heat have kept future assets with the hope that Giannis eventually became available. The timing may be right for Miami, which has an intriguing batch of young talent and draft selections.
"The Heat's best offer is presumed to be a package headlined by Wisconsin native Tyler Herro, rising big man Ke’lel Ware and tradeable first-round picks in 2030 and 2032," he said.
Giannis is sidelined for around four weeks with a calf injury. Any team that acquires him will have to be comfortable with his health and willingness to re-sign with the team. He has a $62.7 million player option in the 2027-28 offseason and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2028.
Antetokounmpo, a two-time league MVP, led Milwaukee to an NBA Championship in 2021. He's averaging 28 points and 10 rebounds this season.
More NBA news: