NBA Rumors: Should Giannis’ comments change Heat’s stance on Damian Lillard?

NBA Rumors: Should Giannis Antetokounmpo’s recent comments change the Miami Heat’s all-in stance on Damian Lillard?

At least for now, the Miami Heat still seems all-in on trading for Damian Lillard. Ideally, it’s something that Miami wished it was already completed, especially with the start of training camp just a month away. However, the Portland Trail Blazers continue to play hardball, which has complicated Lillard’s trade demand.

In a vacuum, the Heat will likely still make the deal whenever the Blazers finally come around to it. However, you can’t help but wonder if Giannis Antetokounmpo’s recent comments will impact the Heat’s stance toward going down this grueling path, likely into the season, with the Blazers for Lillard.

In a recent interview, Giannis admitted that he was not planning on signing a contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason and he’ll only think about doing so until next summer. Part of that reasoning is the financial implications; if Giannis waits to sign an extension next summer, he’ll be able to get more money out of his new contract.

But Giannis also said that before he signs an extension with the Bucks, he wants to make sure the front office is all-in. He wants to see if they can continue to surround him with a championship-supporting cast.

This is not that outlandish of a comment from a superstar, but it certainly does put the front office on the hot seat. With the future of Giannis’ supporting cast very much up in the air, he clearly wants to know what the plan is in the event that Jrue Holiday and/or Khris Middleton do move on after their current contracts with the team expire in the next 1-2 seasons.

At the very least, it’s something many teams around the league, including the Heat, will keep an eye on.

How should or will this impact the Heat’s approach to Lillard moving forward?

The big question for Miami is how this all impacts them. On the surface, there’s really no news on Giannis. Even though these comments are interesting, he’s not saying he’s not happy in Milwaukee or even that he plans to test free agency when he’s eligible to in two years. That’s significant.

Right now, the Heat has a good shot to land Lillard. It’s far from a sure thing but the fact that Lillard has named Miami as his preferred landing spot matters. If nothing else, it puts them in the driver’s seat for Lillard.

Miami can’t fall in love with the idea of a future transaction rather than an actual possible transaction. Plus, let’s not forget that the Heat’s championship window is now. Jimmy Butler is 33 years old and maybe has 1-2 years of prime production left.

While Giannis may be the target that would help their franchise the most in the long term, Lillard is the acquisition that makes more sense for where this current team build is.

Miami needs to close the deal on Lillard, and Giannis’ recent comments should have no impact on the Heat’s current plan.