Giannis Antetokounmpo is still a member of the Milwaukee Bucks with the commencement of the 2025-26 season on the horizon. He allegedly never requested a trade out of Milwaukee or even showed serious interest in joining any rival team this offseason outside of the New York Knicks.
Still, the Heat reportedly eyed a trade for Antetokounmpo and were prepared to make an offer that did not include big man Bam Adebayo. However, the Miami Herald‘s Barry Jackson claimed that the Bucks probably would not have seriously entertained such an offer, and even if they did, Antetokounmpo likely wouldn’t want to join a Heat squad sans Adebayo.
“If Antetokounmpo had asked out, the Heat was prepared to make an offer that did not include Bam Adebayo, according to a source,” Jackson wrote. “But it’s unlikely any such offer would have been seriously considered.
“If Antetokounmpo requests a trade at some point, it remains to be seen if the Heat would ever change its mind about offering Adebayo. But it’s unlikely that the Bucks star would want to join a Heat team without Adebayo, with whom he shares an agent. So it’s all likely moot.
“Antetokounmpo has said publicly that winning is very important to him and he wants to be able to compete regularly for a championship.”
Adebayo is probably the Heat’s most valuable player from a trade standpoint, as he’s one of the premier two-way players in the NBA today. He’s already a three-time All-Star and has been selected to one of the All-Defensive teams five times, and at just 28 years old, he theoretically has plenty of great all-around basketball left in the tank.
Trading for Antetokounmpo probably wouldn’t be worth it for the Heat if they have to relinquish Adebayo in any deal, as such a frontcourt pairing is a big part of the appeal of adding the former league MVP. Antetokounmpo has perhaps never played with a center as talented as Adebayo.
Plus, the Heat trading Adebayo in a package for Antetokounmpo would put them in a very similar position to the one that the Bucks are in right now. Miami would employ one of the best players in the world but have a massive talent deficit behind him, and such a top-heavy team isn’t a formula for winning at a high level.
All in all, even though Adebayo likely shouldn’t be a part of any deal for Antetokounmpo, it would still be worth it for the Heat to keep tabs on the latter’s situation. Maybe Milwaukee will lower its asking price for the Greek Freak in due time, and an offer sans Adebayo will be enough for the Bucks to pull the trigger on a trade.