Should The Miami Heat Go After Milwaukee Bucks Star In The Offseason?

Bryan Townes | 8 Hours Ago

Oct 28, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat could pursue another star player in the offseason who listed them as a preferred destination.

Over the last several seasons, the Heat were reported as one of the top destinations for several star players such as Bradley Beal, Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant, and Damian Lillard. 

Lillard was the first star to apply the needed pressure to demand the Heat as his primary option. The goal was to add Lillard without giving up two stars on the team. Unfortunately, the Portland Trailblazers did not discuss further with the team after declining to offer Bam Adebayo or Jimmy Butler in any trade.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the most recent star rumored to have interest in the Heat. However, they can only us Adebayo or Butler as trade. It’s difficult to imagine giving up one of the best players in franchise history in Butler. Pat Riley made it clear his top priority before retiring is to get him a championship ring.

This leaves Adebayo as the best asset. At 27 years old, he is the second-best player after Butler. Despite Adebayo's value, Antetokoumpo does nearly everything else significantly better and has a championship ring in 2021. He is only two years older than Adebayo, so he is the future after Butler.

If the Heat want to keep their two best players, they can chalk it up to just trying for Lillard again since his value is much lower than Antetokoumpo. The Bucks have not gotten what they were expecting from him. They must capitalize on his decreasing value as he gets older this offseason if they continue to struggle as he gets older.

Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook.