Is Giannis Antetokounmpo part of the big picture for the Miami Heat?

The Miami Heat have been linked with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo since the beginning of the season but is it realistic?

The whispers began early as last offseason.

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo share the same agent. They have a mutual respect for each other. The speculation of Antetokounmpo joining Adebayo in Miami made sense because of their relationship and especially Heat team president Pat Riley's ability to lure talent. Ten years ago, it happened when LeBron James and Chris Bosh made their way to South Florida.

With SI.com examining one big picture question for each team during the next few weeks, it was natural for Heat's to involve their chances of landing Antetokounmpo. As part of the series, SI writer Rohan Nadkarni analyzed the possibilities of Miami securing another prize-worthy offseason haul. The storyline will likely resurface if the Bucks defeat Orlando Wednesday and advance to play Miami in the Eastern Conference semifinals. 

"It’s almost impossible to predict the long-term consequences this suspension will have on team building for the foreseeable future," Nakharni wrote. "How will a potentially static salary cap situation affect the decisions of potential free agents? Will the new situation make Giannis more likely to stay in Milwaukee? Or could he somehow end up making the same amount of money by signing short-term somewhere else and re-upping his deal? There’s going to be all sorts of logistics to figure out in the fallout of this unprecedented stoppage, and it’s going to severely affect the plans of teams who’d hoped to make a splash in 2021."

Riley appeared confident in his current group when he said earlier this week the Heat were close to contending for a championship. Adding Antetokounmpo would also silence critics such as ESPN analyst Paul Pierce, who said the Heat need a superstar-caliber player before thinking a title.

With Riley, 75, running out of time to add another Larry O'Brien trophy to his collection, he is faced with the question of building around Adebayo and Jimmy Butler or going after more star power. The Heat have plenty time to think about their strategy. 

"Would it make more sense to commit to the current iteration of this team as opposed to chasing a Giannis-type? Miami will be far from the only front office thrown by the pandemic," Nadkarni wrote. "But if the resulting landscape pushes the Heat toward going all in as opposed to leaving the door open in 2021, that doesn’t necessarily have to mean the end for the Heat’s hopes to contend."

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