With the NBA trade deadline on the horizon, the Miami Heat are apparently in the mix to land Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported on Thursday that Miami is one of two teams often mentioned when discussing the ongoing Antetokoumpo situation with squads around the league.
The Heat have talented young players and draft picks they could use to entice Milwaukee to make a trade, and on top of that, they’re reportedly willing to take on a contract from the Bucks (like Bobby Portis’ or Kyle Kuzma’s) to get something done, according to Five Reasons Sports’ Greg Sylvander.
“From what I understand, Miami is willing to take back one of milwaukees contracts (Kuzma or Portis) if it helps them get a deal done,” he wrote via Discord.
Portis’ contract is the cheaper of the two annually. He’s earning around $13 million this season and roughly $15 million in the 2026-27 campaign before he has a player option at about $16 million for the 2027-28 season. The 30-year-old has been one of the top bench players in the NBA for a while, and he could be a valuable rotation player for head coach Erik Spoelstra.
Kuzma’s deal is a bit more expensive on an annual basis. He’s making around $22 million this season and roughly $20 million next season. While he has certainly had some good seasons in the NBA, he has battled some inconsistencies at times throughout his career. Spoelstra and the Heat would hopefully be able to get the most out of him.
It would probably be worth taking on a contract to acquire a player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber if that were what it came down to. Antetokounmpo would rank among the most talented players to have ever suited up for the Heat franchise in its illustrious history, and his presence would instantly raise the team’s ceiling in an Eastern Conference that looks open for the taking.
With any luck, the fact that the Heat are willing to take on one of Milwaukee’s contracts will aid the two teams in coming to an eventual agreement on an Antetokounmpo trade, allowing Miami to finally land the type of superstar it has been chasing in recent years.