The Miami Heat were the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference when they had a 37-45 record. They were able to beat the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks in the play-in tournament before getting swept to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first-round of the NBA playoffs.
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Apr 28, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (center) looks on from the bench against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter during game four for the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Miami also traded away Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors before the 2025 NBA trade deadline. There are a lot of questions about which direction the Heat will head in during the offseason. There is a chance that Miami could rebuild or maybe take a big swing for a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. One NBA analyst thinks that the Heat could make a play for the superstar this offseason.
NBC Sports Thinks That the Miami Heat Could Be In Play For Giannis Antetokounmpo This Offseason
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Apr 29, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) defends during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
NBCsports.com writer Kurt Helin wrote an article about seven potential different destinations for Antetokounmpo to be traded to this upcoming NBA offseason. To no surprise, he had the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs at the top of the list. The Rockets are willing to give up Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. potentially for Giannis and it would be interesting to see what the Spurs would be willing to give up for Antetokounmpo.
However, a surprising team was listed by Helin, and he had the Heat listed as a potential suitor for Giannis. Helin said,
“Miami is a glamorous destination that has been mid for a couple of years, and needs to shake things up to win now, so they will kick the tires on an Antetokounmpo trade. The problem is that the Heat do not have the draft picks that the Bucks will seek in any rebuild to make this trade likely. Salary-wise, a trade of Andrew Wiggins, Duncan Robinson, and Nikola Jovic works (although the Bucks likely want Tyler Herro over Wiggins), but Miami can only trade one or two future first-rounders — their own in 2030 and beyond — and that’s not going to entice a rebuilding Bucks team.
Still, expect the Heat rumors to swirl because Pat Riley has a way of making things happen.”
Miami’s only attractive pieces on the roster are Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. This would not be a good landing spot for Antetokounmpo. The Heat are better off rebuilding than making a trade for Antetokounmpo. Miami is closer to being a rebuilding basketball team than being a contender despite the Eastern Conference not being as strong as the Western Conference.
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