Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Heat being relevant hinges on getting Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Heat are all in on Giannis Antetokounmpo and there was never a secret to it — yet if they fail to get him, the top brass will have to do damage control with the assets so the relationships aren’t fractured. 

But it could get worse.

Reportedly, the Boston Celtics are also in on the Greek Freak, according to Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor and The Ringers Bill Simmons.  The Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman believes Boston’s chase “is very real,” too.

If Boston is going to include Jaylen Brown, who is a top 15 player, then that trumps any Heat package not featuring Bam Adebayo. Keep in mind that the Celtics are coming off a blown 3-1 lead in round one to the Philadelphia 76ers after a terrific regular season. 

This should terrify the committee because the team being relevant hinges on getting Giannis. They are doomed to a quick exit without a real star, and the regular season will be repeat of two steps forward, two steps backward. The Heat went to their fourth-consecutive Play-In Tournament in 2025-26, and didn’t survive it, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018-19.

Having Giannis try to finish what Jimmy Butler never could is infinitely better than going back to purgatory. Keep in mind that he is a regular-season workhorse who guarantees at least a fifth seed since 2018-19 when having decent players around him. In Miami, he would also be playing under one of the top two or three coaches in the league.

In Giannis’ case, it’s hard to go wrong in picking a partner in Bam Adebayo or Jayson Tatum. Linking up with the former could create one of the most potent defensive duos the league has seen in years, and teaming up with the latter might forge an unstoppable force, considering their shot-creating prowess. 

Going to each team would put Giannis in a proven environment, yet the best option for him would be to join Tatum. How would opponents decide who to double team? Either one would put defenses in a scramble because they’re big, strong and can pass well. Joining Tatum would also pair him with someone who was the best player on a championship, despite Brown being Finals MVP and Eastern Conference Finals MVP consecutively.

The first and second round of the NBA Draft will be on the June 23 and 24. As the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson correctly pointed out on X (formerly Twitter), the Heat will need some luck to get this deal done. The Milwaukee Bucks will presumably trade him close to the draft, and it’s going to feel like an eternity to get there.