The NBA teams often have big and long-term plans. According to various sources from the league, Miami Heat had revealed their intentions yesterday. The three-time champions from Florida are aiming to land none other than Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021. Also, the management is interested in Victor Oladipo, whose contract with Indiana Pacers will end at the same time.
Giannis in Miami? – Very Possible
The Greek Freak is becoming a restricted free agent at the end of that season, and the Heat franchise is very serious in luring the reigning MVP. Many believe that pairing him and Jimmy Butler might be the best thing for the Heat since LeBron, Bosh, and Wade made a super three.
Now, in order to do that, Miami is willing to take several interesting actions. Among them is making a trade with the San Antonio Spurs, which doesn’t involve Bucks’ forward. Well, not at the moment.
Greg Popovich’s team started this season very badly, and they are way under .500. It seems that for the first time since the last century, we are not going to see Spurs in the playoffs. Therefore, the experienced coach is interested in rebuilding the entire squad.
Aldridge and DeRozan on the List
The first on his list for departure are LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan. These two guys are past their peak, and both are old, meaning that they aren’t the material for making long-term plans.
On the other side, they still have a solid value on the market and are attractive for some teams.
Miami is among them, and there are two reasons for that. The first is the fact that both DeRozan and Aldridge still produce excellent numbers every night. The second – contracts. Both have high salaries, DD $27.7 million, and LA $26 million, and the respective deals expire in 2021. That suits the Heat perfectly, as they want to keep the funds for Giannis, and possibly Oladipo.
In the meantime, they will have a respectable team with three All-Stars who can make a huge noise in the playoffs. The Heat has good resources to make the trade real, and many are saying that it is just a matter of time before they go for it.