The Miami Heat decided to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason. They did so in order to finally have a superstar player. Antetokounmpo is hoping to lift Miami into contention in the Eastern Conference, although it has been a rough start.
After the Heat started 0-4, they have bounced back. They are now 5-6 and sitting in seventh in the East standings. Miami wants to keep Antetokounmpo for the long haul. It looks like he will be signing an extension with the franchise in the coming months.
Heat Will Reportedly Sign Giannis Antetokounmpo to an Extension
While speaking on The Hoop Collective, ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported that Antetokounmpo will be signing an extension either in January or over the summer. This is an expected move. Miami wouldn’t have traded for him if Antetokounmpo didn’t want to sign an extension.
Right now, Antetokounmpo only has one more year left on his deal after this one. He will be paid $62.7 million next year in the final year of his contract. Miami will be looking to keep him around for the foreseeable future. Antetokounmpo is still in the prime of his career.
Antetokounmpo has had a bit of a slow start from an offensive perspective to the season with his new team. Thus far, he is averaging 27.7 points per game on 56.7 percent shooting. He is taking much fewer shots at the rim, which is a bit concerning.
However, Antetokounmpo is still rebounding at an elite rate. He is averaging 12.6 rebounds per game. Antetokounmpo is averaging just 5.2 assists, which would be his lowest rate since the 2017-18 season. Still, the Heat want to keep him around.
Defense is the biggest problem for the Heat at the moment. To this point in the season, they have the sixth-worst defensive rating in the league. That is something that has to be fixed if they are going to rise up the Eastern Conference standings.
Miami is Not Panicking Yet
Despite the relatively slow start, the Heat are not panicking about their start. There is still plenty of time to rise throughout the standings. On the flip side, Miami has started out the season without many injuries. A lot of other teams around the league have had severe injuries already.
In the East, teams that are already ravaged by injuries are the Pacers, Hornets, Raptors, and Magic. Only the Raptors are ahead of the Heat in the standings. Any one of the teams behind them dealing with injuries could vault back up when they get healthy.
Antetokounmpo will figure out the best way for him to perform with his new teammates. Expect him to still play at a high level for the next few years. Getting an extension done with him is only a matter of time. The sooner it gets done, the sooner it is no longer a distraction he has to deal with.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Reportedly Working on an Extension with the Heat