Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Bobby Marks: I'm still in the belief it's Miami because when you look at Giannis Antetokounmpo, it's the superstar checklist of three things that Miami has here: It's the win-now player. When you look at a player like Tyler Herro, remember you've got to get to $47-48 million in salary just to send out. Herro makes $33 million as an expiring contract. Then you look at young players like Kel'el Ware Ware and Jaime Jaquez, two players on rookie deals. And then it's the draft picks. Remember, Milwaukeee's got the 10th pick in the draft. Miami's got the 13th pick in the draft. They can send two future picks in 30 and 32. They've got some swap rights here. So, I do think Miami's got right now the best package out there, but we've got to get some clarity here.
To be clear: I don't get the sense that the Bucks don't want Herro. I've actually heard that Milwaukee and Herro have mutual interest. But the Bucks will clearly be trending toward a total reset from the Antetokounmpo Era if they proceed with a trade over the next few days. If they can get additional future assets by shipping Herro to Detroit or elsewhere ... how could they resist?
Doc Rivers and Bill Simmons on Giannis to Miami: Bill: For him, Miami is the one I can’t figure out unless they have other moves. It’s him and Bam and you traded everybody else, where are you going? Doc: And you would’ve traded your closer because Tyler Herro is a closer. Say what you want about him, but he’s a straight up closer. My guess is, that’s where he’s trusting their front office that they have the ability to add more pieces. Those are the talks were not in
Advertisement
The Bucks seem to not be in love with the Heat's offer(s) and continue to discuss trade packages with other teams, team sources say. That said, Miami has been able to improve what it can offer since the trade deadline and can send a package headlined by the No. 13 pick in next week's draft plus various rotation players, namely Wisconsin native Tyler Herro, and prospects.
The Heat were aggressive in trying to land Giannis Antetokounmpo at the February trade deadline, when league sources say they thought a deal would get done before the Bucks ultimately backed away. This time around, with league sources indicating that the package is likely to include Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., either Pelle Larsson or Kasparas Jakučionis and draft capital (they can offer up to three first round picks), Miami is still widely seen as the frontrunner in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.
Gery Woelfel: A few tidbits on the Antetokounmpo situation: — As I tweeted several weeks ago, Miami is still his preferred destination. — A national report claims Antetokounmpo had concerns about how the Heat roster would look after the trade. Nonsense . With the exception of Tyler Herro, the Heat’s starting lineup would remain in tact. — There have been reports about how the Heat haven’t worked out any lottery prospects because they’ll be sending their pick (No. 13 overall) to Milwaukee. Nonsense. Some of the same prospects the Bucks (10th pick) have worked out have also worked out for the Heat. — The Heat still remain the most likely team to acquire Antetokounmpo, but the draft isn’t until June 23. That means some other teams won’t show all their cards until the last minute in this high-stakes poker game.
It is widely presumed that the offer firmly on the table for Milwaukee calls for Miami to package Herro, Ware and Jacquez Jr. with prime draft capital to the Bucks to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo. Yet there have undeniably been rumbles throughout the week that Boston, at the very least, has to be monitored here.
Advertisement
Arguably, the largest pushback on this possibility came from ESPN's Brian Windhorst, who spoke recently on ESPN's Get Up. Not only did Windhorst argue that the Celtics aren't ready to trade Brown, but he also said he thinks Giannis wants to join the Miami Heat. “The team to watch here is Miami. Miami would say ‘we've got Tyler Herro, who is a young player and been an All-Star," Windhorst said. "We got draft picks, including the 13th pick in this draft… And Giannis I think wants to be in Miami. There are more check marks on Miami. I’m not sure Boston is ready to trade Jaylen Brown."
A Heat package built around Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, another player or two, as well as multiple first-round draft picks and pick swaps — a deal offered in early February — is believed to still be on the table. That package held appeal to the Bucks in February, but not enough to push Milwaukee to make a deal. “The noise surrounding the Miami Heat and Antetokounmpo remains louder than all the rest,” The Athletic said Tuesday. “Many people around the league, from agents to executives, continue to believe that Antetokounmpo will end up in Miami when this saga finally comes to an end.”
Mutual interest between the Heat and Antetokounmpo isn't exactly headline-worthy. It's an open secret that Miami covets Giannis and, at the very least, boasts an array of young players (Kel'el Ware, Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr.) and draft picks that should lead to substantive trade discussions with the Bucks. Meanwhile ... It is unclear, as Simmons noted during that podcast alongside Rob Mahoney, how much reciprocal Giannis interest Boston holds at this juncture. The Celtics indeed checked in with Milwaukee on Antetokounmpo before the February trade deadline when the Bucks were briefly open to fielding trade offers for their Face of the Franchise.
