The Miami Heat chose to sit out this year’s trade deadline, and around the league, that decision isn’t going unnoticed. On The Bill Simmons Podcast, NBA insiders Zach Lowe and Bill Simmons didn’t hold back when discussing what that inaction could mean-especially when it comes to the ever-elusive pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Let’s be clear: the Heat were in the mix. With the Timberwolves and Warriors backing out of the Giannis sweepstakes, Miami briefly looked like one of the last serious contenders.
But instead of making a bold move, they stood pat. And that, according to Lowe, might have been a missed opportunity.
“If I were a Miami fan, I’d be a little worried,” Lowe said. “The Giannis teams started falling away. We were maybe the last real team standing.”
It’s a fair concern. The Heat have built a reputation as a franchise that’s always lurking when a superstar becomes available.
But with the deadline gone and Giannis still in Milwaukee, the landscape shifts. Sure, Miami could still make a splash this summer-there’s always the possibility of unloading multiple first-round picks-but the playing field will be a lot more crowded by then.
Simmons took it a step further, calling out the Heat’s trade approach, which he described as consistently underwhelming in the eyes of rival front offices. “This is what they do,” he said.
“Here’s 40 cents on the dollar for your best guy-any interest? You don’t want this?
We’re offering you Tyler Herro and Kel’el Ware, who doesn’t even play.”
That last part stings a bit, but it’s rooted in reality. Ware’s role has been anything but consistent in Miami.
One night he’s getting real minutes alongside Bam Adebayo, the next he’s glued to the bench. That kind of uncertainty doesn’t exactly sweeten a trade package.
“The Ware thing-the up-and-down minutes, trying him with Bam, then not trying it, sometimes he doesn’t play the second half-that hasn’t helped,” Lowe added.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee’s decision to hold onto Giannis through the deadline means the superstar sweepstakes are on pause-at least for now. But the race is far from over.
Once the offseason hits, expect the floodgates to open again. And Miami won’t be the only team lining up.
One team that could enter the fray? The Orlando Magic.
Lowe floated the idea that Orlando might actually benefit from the delay in Giannis’ availability. But he also acknowledged that the Magic’s situation is far from stable.
“I’m trying to think what are the teams that feel like they’ve lost because the Giannis thing got kicked to the summer, and what are the teams that won,” Lowe said. “I want to include Orlando on the latter list because you know that the Paolo [Banchero] and a bunch of stuff for Giannis is one of my favorite fake trades.”
But here’s the catch-Orlando’s trade ammo isn’t what it used to be. Recent moves have thinned their asset pool, and Banchero’s stock isn’t quite as shiny as it was a year ago. Lowe noted that the “bloom is off the rose” for the young forward, and if the Magic can’t stabilize their season, bigger changes-possibly even at the coaching level-could be on the table.
So where does that leave Miami? In a holding pattern, for now.
But the decision not to act at the deadline may end up being more than just a footnote. If the Giannis chase heats up this summer-and it will-the Heat might find themselves surrounded by more aggressive, better-positioned suitors.
And if that window really was open, even briefly, there’s a chance they just watched it slam shut.