It’s still over a year away, but teams just can’t help themselves at the thought of signing Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The 25-year-old basketball phenom has yet to show any indication of wanting out, and the Bucks are in a good position to win this year. Still, with all the opportunities Giannis has had to verbally commit to the team, he has left the door open to a potential exit and nobody is taking it lightly.
Pat Riley and the Miami Heat are among the teams in strongest pursuit of the former MVP and, according to a report by Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, their free-agency plans start with him.
“Everything they’ve done, any call that goes through them, it starts with, ‘How does this affect 2021?’” the GM asked. “They want to be able to make that good pitch, with Jimmy Butler and Spo (coach Erik Spoelstra) and Pat Riley, that’s important to them. And it starts with Giannis.”
There’s no arguing Giannis‘ impact as a player. He’s almost impossible to stop and his presence alone makes any team a Championship contender. On the Heat, they’d be nothing short of favorites to win the Chip.
Whether or not he goes there depends on their ability to stay near the top of the standings. With Jimmy Butler, Pat Riley, and Bam Adebayo in a central location like Miami, there are certainly a number of reasons why a free-agent would be lured to the franchise.
But they aren’t the only ones after him. The Lakers, Warriors, and Celtics will no doubt be in play next summer. The Heat have some pretty steep competition ahead of them, which is probably why they’re thinking so far ahead.
