Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s ongoing trade saga continues to dominate the basketball landscape.
With both the Bucks and prospective suitors waiting on baited breath for an announcement on his decision to possibly move forward with a trade request, the trade rumor mill has come alive.
The Miami Heat and their uber-aggressive team president Pat Riley were likely to heavily pursue a blockbuster trade for the 2021 NBA Finals MVP, but recent updates have thrown a wrench into that plan.
According to a new post from Forbes’ Evan Sidery on X, citing DraftKings Sportsbook odds, it seems as though the Heat have fallen out of the race to acquire the generational talent via trade in the coming months.
With the Bucks leading the charge with -140 odds to have the legendary forward return and the Brooklyn Nets sitting at +2000 to land Antetokounmpo, the Heat were not listed anywhere in between.
After falling out of the top-8 teams with regard to the likelihood of acquiring the 30-year-old mega-star, the Heat may have to pivot.
Other big-time talents such as the Phoenix Suns‘ Kevin Durant and Atlanta Hawks‘ Trae Young will still pique the Heat’s interest as possible trade targets this offseason.
Still, potentially missing out on the chance to bring in one of the most dominant two-way players in league history would be devastating for a franchise looking to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference.
In 67 appearances for the Bucks during the 2024-25 regular season, Antetokounmpo contributed 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists while knocking down 60.1% of his attempts from the field.
Through his incredible effort, the 9-time All-Star earned a third-place finish in MVP voting and a seventh consecutive All-NBA First Team selection.
Antetokounmpo’s potential partnership with the Heat’s fearsome duo of Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo would have a chance to wreck the East, but it may not have a real shot at coming to fruition.
