The Miami Heat have already made the kind of offseason splash that changes the shape of a roster, but they weren’t done shopping for help around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Miami’s biggest move came in June, when it landed Antetokounmpo in a massive deal with Milwaukee. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the full return this way: “The Milwaukee Bucks are trading franchise icon Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks (including No. 13 in Tuesday's NBA draft), one pick swap and one second-round pick, sources told ESPN. The Heat are sending to Milwaukee unprotected first-rounders in 2031 and 2033 along with No. 13, a pick swap in 2030 and a 2033 second-rounder, according to sources,” ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote.
Even with that blockbuster in place, Miami kept exploring ways to add more talent. The Heat were also in the mix for LeBron James, and they had another high-level target in mind: NBA champion Luguentz "Lu" Dort.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that Miami was among the teams that checked in before Dort was moved. “Several teams expressed trade interest in acquiring Dort before he was traded to Atlanta, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, and Miami Heat, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote.
In the end, Atlanta won that race. Charania reported the framework of the deal like this: “The Thunder traded All-Defensive wing Luguentz Dort to the Hawks in a three-team deal that sent three second-round picks to Oklahoma City, 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher to the Mavericks and Ryan Nembhard to Atlanta on Sunday,” Charania wrote.
Dort would have given Miami another elite defensive piece to slot alongside Davion Mitchell, Bam Adebayo and Antetokounmpo. He also would have added championship experience to a roster already loaded with talent.
Dort is on an $82 million contract, and it’s fair to wonder how aggressive Miami could have been after the Antetokounmpo trade. The Heat clearly had interest, but once they pushed their chips in for Antetokounmpo, their remaining trade flexibility was probably tighter than before.
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Around the league, that plan is getting noticed. Rival executives already believe Atlanta could combine mid-tier salaries with draft capital to make a real run at a star before the February deadline or next offseason, and the appeal is obvious: the Hawks may be able to chase a big upgrade without gutting the core they have assembled. The exact target is still a matter of speculation, but the broader direction is clear, and it gives this front office a rare chance to be patient now and aggressive later. [Read more 🡒]
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