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A new team has been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo amid trade rumors surrounding the Milwaukee Bucks star.
During an appearance on Zach Lowe’s podcast on Thursday, Howard Beck reported that the Miami Heat are seen as a team Antetokounmpo would be interested in.
“Again, in doing the Giannis story and talking to people around the league, Miami was suggested to me as a place Giannis would really love to land if it’s not New York,” Beck said.
After a summer full of trade rumors surrounding Antetokounmpo, things picked back up last week when ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Antetokounmpo and his agent were “having conversations” with the Bucks about his future and whether his best move is to stay in Milwaukee or move on from the team.
Charania noted in his report that “a resolution to these talks is expected in the coming weeks.
While it seems Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are still discussing a potential move, one person with knowledge of the situation told Charania that “the writing is on the wall” when it comes to a trade.
As far as possible landing spots, the New York Knicks have been the team to watch after trade discussions between them and the Bucks in August, but Charania noted that the Knicks “will no longer have the exclusive negotiating window as his preferred destination.”
It’s fair to say that just about any team that landed Antetokounmpo would automatically get an upgrade. The two-time MVP has looked like one of the best players in the league so far this season, putting up 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists, though he has been out since last week with a calf injury.
While the trade rumors regarding Antetokounmpo won’t cease anytime soon, he’s hoping his team can focus on winning games for now. He reportedly met with his teammates recently to address his future and to “stress the importance of focusing on basketball and not to allow outside distractions to interfere with the process at hand,” per NBA insider Chris Haynes.
The Bucks have struggled to start the season, going 10-15, so they’ll need to avoid any distractions if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.