The Miami Heat maintained offseason flexibility and accumulated assets to remain ready if Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes available. Miami will face Milwaukee on November 26 in the NBA Cup Group Stage, creating an early opportunity to showcase organizational stability versus Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Bucks added Myles Turner by waiving-and-stretching Damian Lillard, creating an ideal frontcourt partner for Giannis but also $22.5 million per season in dead money for multiple years. Much of Milwaukee's roster consists of returning projects, wild cards, and Kyle Kuzma, and the supporting cast gives off placeholder vibes while the team retains flexibility for future trades.
The Miami Heat offseason has played out like a carefully scripted plan to preserve flexibility and assets just in case Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes available. Before they can even think about trading for him, though, they must first sell him on the idea of joining them. This indirect sales pitch can officially begin on Wednesday, November 26. That marks the first time Miami will square off with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2025-26 regular season.
Nobody should count on the two-time MVP barging into general manager Jon Hort's office and demanding a trade to South Florida if Milwaukee loses a late-November game to Miami. The stakes of any NBA Cup game aren't that high. Still, the Bucks are traveling a slippery slope. They waived-and-stretched Damian Lillard to help make way for Myles Turner. In doing so, they acquired an ideal frontcourt partner for Giannis, but also tethered themselves to $22.5 million in dead money per season for the next half-decade.
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