The Miami Heat’s new era has gotten off to a rough start, and now one proposed fix would tear apart the very pairing the team just built around.
Miami entered the season with championship-or-bust expectations after a frustrating year that ended without a playoff berth. The front office then swung big over the summer, landing Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from the Milwaukee Bucks in a massive deal that sent Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, one pick swap and one second-round pick to Milwaukee. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Heat included unprotected first-rounders in 2031 and 2033, plus No. 13 in Tuesday's NBA draft, a 2030 pick swap and a 2033 second-rounder.
But through four games, the results have been ugly. Miami is 0-4, and Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo have not yet looked comfortable together.
“The Giannis and Bam fit has looked horrible - Bam looks like he has no idea what to do on offense, they’re playing too fast for what is their talent is, they bet on Klay who looks washed…Giannis isn’t the easiest guy to play with…the Jovic extension from last year is one of the dumbest extensions given out in the last 5 years - it’s been a disaster, he’s been unplayable…10 years ago you could’ve gotten away with Giannis and Bam as your two guys…I wouldn’t bet against them figuring this out, this bad as it can get,” Bill Simmons said.
That rocky start has led Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus to float another blockbuster, one that would send Adebayo and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the New York Knicks for Karl-Anthony Towns.
“The Miami Heat receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, $6.1 million trade exception (Tim Hardaway Jr.) The New York Knicks receive: Bam Adebayo, Tim Hardaway Jr,” Pincus wrote.
It’s the kind of move that would immediately reshape the league, but it also feels like the sort of swing Miami would be reluctant to make this early. Star partnerships can take time, and the Heat may still want a longer look at Antetokounmpo and Adebayo before making another drastic decision.
If Miami ever did go down that road, Towns’ offensive profile gives the idea some logic. His ability to stretch the floor from three-point range would open space for Antetokounmpo to attack the rim, offering a cleaner fit alongside the former Bucks star than a more traditional big man might.
In Other News...
Knicks May Have Pulled Off Another Quiet Draft-Night Win
The Knicks used the 30th pick on Sergio de Larrea, then quickly turned that selection into a different kind of asset by sending his rights to the Mavericks for two future second-round picks. It was the sort of maneuver that fits neatly with how New York has tried to work around its salary cap limitations, squeezing value wherever it can find it instead of simply standing pat on draft night.
De Larrea was already playing professionally in Spain, and soon after the draft he helped Valencia win the Liga ACB title, adding another layer to a player the Knicks never intended to keep. New York also knew Dallas had been linked to him and had the front office ties to make the deal work, which is why this looked less like a pass on a prospect and more like a calculated bet on information and timing. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Already Have A Real Andre Drummond Debate On Their Hands
Andre Drummonds first few weeks as the Knicks backup center have already turned into a small but real rotation conversation. He opened the 2026-27 season with a double-double, then saw his minutes dip in the next games as Mike Brown adjusted the lineup, a familiar kind of early-season sorting-out process for a team still figuring out how it wants to use its depth. Even so, Brown has made clear Drummond remains in the backup mix, which matters for a bench frontcourt that needs a dependable presence when the starters sit.
Drummond gave the Knicks a reminder of why that role is worth monitoring in the win over Detroit, when he scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 14 minutes. It was a cleaner, more productive showing than some of his earlier outings, and it gave New York a useful glimpse of what he can offer when the minutes are there. The larger question now is whether that performance is the start of a steadier climb back into a bigger share of the center rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Trade Chatter Around KAT Just Got Much Louder
The early-season noise around Karl-Anthony Towns has only grown louder as the Knicks continue to navigate a shaky start and the contract-extension picture remains unresolved. Former NBA player Matt Barnes recently floated a hypothetical blockbuster idea involving Towns and Giannis Antetokounmpo, a scenario that immediately caught attention because it tied New Yorks biggest current question to one of the leagues most prominent names.
For now, though, it is exactly that - a hypothetical. There is no indication the Knicks and the other team have officially discussed such a deal, and both clubs are still dealing with their own uneven starts. Still, the combination of New Yorks uneven play and the lack of a new deal for Towns is enough to keep the speculation machine humming, even if the actual trade path remains far from clear. [Read more 🡒]