Former NBA All-Star Makes Case for Giannis to Join the Miami Heat

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Giannis Antetokounmpo could join the Miami Heat

With limited tradable assets, the Miami Heat face an uphill battle to upgrade the current roster. Nevertheless, Pat Riley will likely enter the summer with the hope of adding a new star player to the rotation.

Former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins believes that Giannis Antetokounmpo should consider being that player for Miami. His comments came during a May 20 episode of FanDuel TV’s Run It Back.

“I think Giannis and the Bucks have ran their course,” Cousins said. “I think he’s given them everything he can. And I think it’s time for him to start thinking about himself in this situation. It’s time for him to be selfish with his career. I would love to see Giannis in Miami. Honestly, I think that would be a perfect move…It would definitely help Miami with them struggling to get a superstar after how the breakup went with Jimmy Butler. It makes sense. He’s already said he wants to play in a tax-free state. It makes sense.”

If Giannis does decide to leave the Milwaukee Bucks, there will be no shortage of interest in his services. A bidding war will undoubtedly occur, and Miami could struggle to keep pace with some other teams around the league.

Nevertheless, Riley is as experienced as they come. If he believes there’s a chance to bring Giannis to South Beach, he will likely have an idea on how to make that happen.

Andrew Wiggins Would Likely be Part of That Trade

In any potential move for a superstar-level talent, the Heat will likely need to include Andrew Wiggins. His $27.2 million in average annual value makes his contract an ideal salary-matching tool, especially in a move for someone on a significant salary.

“I would say 50-50. And likely would favor the under at this point, if only because Andrew Wiggins’ contract is in the sweet spot of what is needed to make a trade work,” Ira Winderman recently wrote. “With Pat Riley talking more about retooling than rebuilding, it would appear that the most likely avenue toward such an approach would be to swap out Andrew’s contract for more of a consistent offensive threat…It felt as if Andrew was merely passing through, for a team that ended the season very much in need of a facelift, if not an overhaul.”

Wiggins, 30, would likely be the first name included in any potential trade. And while he’s not a star, he is still talented enough to be an important part of a team’s puzzle in the coming years.

Heat Could Struggle to Create a Trade Package

According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, who was speaking on the “Rich Eisen Show,” the Heat will struggle to create a viable trade package for Giannis.

“Don’t take any of the cheese when you’re hearing Heat, Lakers, Knicks, you know, the supposed blue bloods of the NBA,” McMenamin said. “I just don’t see them-they don’t have the capital. They don’t have the room. They don’t have the pieces. None of those three.”

It will be interesting to see how Riley approaches trade negotiations this summer, especially as multiple elite talents, including Giannis and potentially Kevin Durant, are likely to be available.