Now that the offseason has commenced for both the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks after underwhelming seasons for different reasons, many around the league are wondering what Bucks' megastar Giannis Antetokounmpo is thinking about his team's future.
Appearing on the Zach Lowe Show, The Ringer's Howard Beck named a few potential desired destinations for the two-time MVP.
“Does Giannis ask out? If he does, does he have a list? I poked around a little bit a few days ago & the initial thing I got from one person was just like, some rumblings that it's already just the big cities," Beck said. "It's one of the LA teams or one of the NY teams, or maybe Miami, not big market, but glamor market, a mid-size market."
The Indiana Pacers eliminated the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Antetokounmpo is on the other side of 30 while co-star Damian Lillard is sidelined indefinitely after a torn Achilles in the postseason. The Bucks have limited assets to upgrade the roster and veterans Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis are impending free agents this summer.
Beck and Lowe had been discussing what Antetkounmpo's value could be for another contender like the Houston Rockets, whom they were originally speaking about, and how much teams should be willing to trade for the 2021 Finals MVP and six-time All-NBA First Teamer.
"So some of this is gonna depend on, does Giannis ask out? Because you're not gonna proactively just trade him, probably right," Beck said. "It's the Damian Lillard conundrum, where it's like 'Maybe we should've moved off of him sooner, but you can't trade Damian Lillard unless he asks to be traded. Oh he asked to be traded, so let's move."
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Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @tropicalblanket
Ex-NBA Exec Claim Miami Heat As Giannis Antetokounmpo Top Destination
With the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks' seasons both coming to an end this week, many are wondering the direction each organizations are headed.
John Hollinger of The Athletic, formerly the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Memphis Grizzlies, suggested a potential Heat-Bucks deal.
"So what do those options look like? We’ll first pause to consider yet another Lillard injury irony: It could possibly force the Bucks to trade [Giannis] Antetokounmpo for the Tyler Herro-Jaime Jaquez Jr.-Duncan Robinson package from Miami," Hollinger said.
“We’ll first pause to consider yet another Lillard injury irony: It could possibly force the Bucks to trade [Giannis] Antetokounmpo for the Tyler Herro-Jaime Jaquez Jr.-Duncan Robinson package from Miami. The Heat will always come up as a potential destination…” - @johnhollinger https://t.co/ZdXCDLSgW5 pic.twitter.com/2qZqYbFH1m
— Dru (@dru_star) April 30, 2025
The Indiana Pacers eliminated the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Antetokounmpo is on the other side of 30 while co-star Damian Lillard is sidelined indefinitely after a torn Achilles in the postseason. The Bucks have limited assets to upgrade the roster and veterans Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis are impending free agents this summer.
The Heat lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round in a historically lopsided sweep months after trading Jimmy Butler, who twice led them to the Finals.
Hollinger elaborated on why he listed Miami as a potential destination for Antetokounmpo.
Hollinger said, "The Heat will always come up as a potential destination, but Miami doesn’t have the pile of draft picks (on draft night this year, it can trade its first-round pick, 20th overall via the Warriors, plus unprotected firsts in 2030 and 2032) or alluring young players to get its foot in the door on a trade of this magnitude."
