NBA journeyman Marcus Morris shared an interesting take on the Milwaukee Bucks, as he wondered if stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard could both end up with the Miami Heat depending on how the Bucks do in the playoffs.
Milwaukee will face the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs this season. The Bucks are the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference entering the postseason.
“If I’m Giannis and we don’t get past this first round, I think I’m going to sunny, sunny, sunny, sunny Miami,” Morris said. “Listen, it’s wide open over there. You could start something new. It’s a really big market. It’s wide open, right?
“And then you talk about Dame as well. Do both of ’em somehow slide to a new team and get to Miami?”
Morris was then questioned by ESPN star Stephen A. Smith on how the Heat would acquire both players, with Smith saying that they don’t have enough assets to land both stars.
“We done seen crazier things happen,” Morris said. “Do Milwaukee wanna blow it up after they lose, right? You just got Kyle Kuzma. If they lose in this first round, I think it’s so many questions to be answered. And I know that Giannis wants to win, right?”
The Bucks could be in trouble in the first round of the playoffs, as Lillard missed the end of the regular season due to a blood clot. If he misses time in the playoffs, Milwaukee’s chances of making a deep run could take a serious hit.
While Morris may see Miami as a destination for the two Bucks stars, the Heat would have to orchestrate quite the trade to bring them to Miami. Not only would Miami have to match salaries in order to make a deal work, but the Heat also would likely need to part ways with young players and draft capital to entice the Bucks to make a deal.
This season, Antetokounmpo has played at an elite level, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while shooting 60.1 percent from the field. He’s won a title – and an NBA Finals MVP award – before, so the Bucks may feel confident that they can make a run this postseason as long as he is healthy.
Lillard, for his part, is in his second season with the Bucks after spending the beginning of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers. When he’s at his best, he’s one of the top guards in all of the NBA.
As for the Heat, they are the No. 10 seed in the East and will have to fight to make the playoffs by way of the play-in tournament. Miami may be open to shaking up its roster this coming offseason, but it’s unclear if either of the Bucks stars would be in the franchise’s plans if they were to become available.