The Miami Heat landed their superstar. But it turns out Giannis Antetokounmpo had a big say in which teams never even got a shot at him.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Jamal Collier, Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst didn’t just run trade offers past ownership. He ran them past Antetokounmpo’s camp too. And the two-time MVP killed at least four serious proposals before the Heat and Boston Celtics emerged as finalists.
“At least four strong bids had died on the vine after Antetokounmpo rejected them,” sources told ESPN.
That’s a lot of dead deals. And it changes how you look at the whole thing. This wasn’t just the Bucks shopping their franchise guy to the highest bidder. Antetokounmpo had veto power in practice if not in his contract. He used it.
How the Milwaukee-Miami Deal Came Together
The eventual package sent Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. to South Beach. In return, the Bucks got back a haul of picks and players. But the process was unusual. Horst apparently kept Antetokounmpo in the loop the whole way, letting him weigh in on where he’d be willing to go.
That makes sense when you think about it. Trading a guy who just won you a title is already complicated. Trading him somewhere he doesn’t want to be? That’s a PR nightmare and a half. Milwaukee had to thread the needle between getting good value and not getting burned if Giannis walked in free agency anyway.
Four teams got told no. We don’t know which ones. But the fact that Boston made the final cut tells you something about how Antetokounmpo viewed his options.
What’s Next for Miami After the Giannis Trade
The Heat finally got their whale. After years of chasing stars and coming up short, they landed a top-three player in the league. Pairing him with Bam Adebayo gives Miami a frontcourt that can match up with anyone in the East.
But they still need shooting. Badly. Even after grabbing Ryan Conwell in the second round of the 2026 draft, Miami’s perimeter offense looks thin. ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel pointed out that Khris Middleton — Antetokounmpo’s former teammate — and Anfernee Simons could be targets.
“There’s a clear opportunity here to rise up in the East and become a title threat next to the Knicks,” Siegel said. “I think the names mentioned on ESPN by Brian Windhorst and Bobby Marks — Anfernee Simons and Khris Middleton being potential minimum options or mid-level exception guys for the Heat — those would be two fantastic fits. I fully expect the Heat to be aggressive once free agency begins.”
Middleton and Antetokounmpo have history. They won a ring together in 2021. Simons gives them a dynamic scorer who can create his own shot. Both make sense. But the Heat are capped out and will need to get creative with exceptions and minimum deals.
Miami has a track record of turning castoffs and overlooked guys into rotation players. They’ll need that magic again. The core is there now. It’s about filling in the gaps around Adebayo and Antetokounmpo.
Free agency can’t come soon enough on Biscayne Boulevard.
Leave a Comment