"Giannis Antetokounmpo had eyes for an NBA team other than the Milwaukee Bucks over the offseason. It wasn't the Miami Heat-a not-really-full-on-slight Pat Riley and crew should absolutely interpret as one as they wait out and prowl the market for their next superstar acquisition. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Giannis gave serious consideration to requesting a trade out of Milwaukee over the summer. Had he surrendered to those impulses, his team of choice would have been...the New York Knicks."
"Twenty-eight other squads failed to make Giannis' one-team list. That shields the Heat from any true embarrassment. We are also mere weeks removed from Miami ranking as one of Kevin Durant's three preferred trade destinations. And in that instance, it sounds like the Heat were the ones who passed on the blockbuster possibility. Still, the Giannis situation is different. He is not just a superstar in his prime. He's the marquee name around whom Miami has seemingly structured its entire direction."
"Miami doesn't get to hide behind the notion of having a better trade offer next summer, either. That is true on its face. The Heat can potentially ship out four first-rounders next June: their 2026 selection (when it's no longer a future pick), and conditional firsts in 2029, 2031, and 2033. But that has nothing to do with this latest Giannis report."
Giannis Antetokounmpo seriously considered requesting a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason and identified the New York Knicks as his preferred destination. Miami did not make his one-team list, with twenty-eight other franchises also excluded. Miami had recently appeared as a preferred trade destination for Kevin Durant but reportedly passed on that opportunity. Giannis stands as a marquee superstar around whom Miami has structured much of its direction, making his omission a notable setback for the franchise's standing as an attractive trade destination. Miami retains multiple future first-round assets, while the Knicks currently cannot promise a single outright first-rounder.
Read at All U Can Heat
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