Plan A for the Miami Heat this offseason appears to be acquiring Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo has been linked to the Heat for what feels like ages at this point, at the Bucks finally appear poised to move on from the two-time NBA MVP this summer.
But, there’s no guarantee that a deal involving Antetokounmpo will come to fruition, so the Heat need to have a backup plan. Perhaps that backup plan could including trading for another Eastern Conference All-Star.
Miami Heat Named Potential Landing Spot for Trae Young
GettyWASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 16: Trae Young #3 of the Washington Wizards passes the ball in the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Capital One Arena on March 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report recently named the Heat as a potential landing spot for Trae Young, who turned down his player option with the Washington Wizards for next season in favor of free agency.
Young is expected to agree on a new deal with Washington in free agency, but if those talks hit a snag he could pivot and potentially land elsewhere. That’s where the Heat could come in. The Wizards and Heat would likely need to agree to a sign-and-trade to get a potential deal done, but that wouldn’t be an impossibility.
“They don’t have the cap space to sign Young outright, but they may have some young(ish) pieces to offer in a sign-and-trade that might fit Washington’s rebuilding timeline,” Bailey wrote.
“And though the Heat would obviously prefer to land Giannis (a perennial MVP candidate, when healthy), Young might actually be the easier fit. It’s not hard to imagine the pick-and-roll pairing with him and Bam Adebayo. And Young would certainly cost Miami less than an Antetokounmpo trade would. So, there would likely be some decent wings left to play between the stars.”
While the concept of Miami trading for Young feels like a bit of a longshot, it’ still intriguing nonetheless.
Miami Heat Have Been ‘Aggressive’ in Pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo
GettyMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JANUARY 04: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks runs down court after scoring during the first half of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Fiserv Forum on January 04, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Heat have been very aggressive in their pursuit of Antetokounmpo, though that doesn’t mean a deal is close to getting done.
“Miami has been the team most aggressive in trying to get him,” Windhorst said during an appearance on Get Up. “But they have seven or eight different pieces that they can trade, none of them that I consider super-premium and I think the Bucks probably want all of them.”
Given all of the options on the table, the Heat will be one of the most fascinating teams to keep an eye on this offseason.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Heat Named Landing Spot for All-Star Guard if Giannis Antetokounmpo Plans Fall Through appeared first on HEAVY.