Giannis Reportedly Has ‘Questions’ About Heat’s Post-Trade Roster
The Heat appear to be the current frontrunner in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes, but the Bucks star may not be fully sold on Miami as his next destination, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Appearing Friday on The Dan Patrick Show (Twitter video link), the NBA insider revealed that Antetokounmpo has concerns about whether the Heat can remain competitive considering what they would have to give up in a potential trade.
“The noise is tied to Miami, but there’s also some intel, discussion, kind of understanding, that Giannis has questions about what that Miami roster would look like on the other side of a deal,” Amick said. “… You don’t want to gut your roster and go to the place you’re excited to be in and then have a hard time contending for a championship.”
The latest rumored offer has shooting guard Tyler Herro going to Milwaukee, along with young center Kel’el Ware and Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Jaime Jaquez Jr. The Bucks would also receive the No. 13 pick in this year’s draft and two future first-rounders. Pick swaps and other players could also be involved, with only Bam Adebayo considered off limits.
Injuries limited Herro to 33 games this season, but he was Miami’s second-leading scorer at 20.5 PPG, while Jaquez tied for fourth at 15.4 PPG. Assuming free agent guard Norman Powell is re-signed, the post-trade offense would be focused around him, Antetokounmpo, Adebayo, and Andrew Wiggins, while the bench would mostly be filled with young, unproven players.
Amick still considers it “very likely” that Antetokounmpo will be moved before the draft and points to the Celtics as a “pretty intriguing” option that could offer a better chance to contend for a title. Amick adds that the “intrigue is real” from Antetokounmpo and his representatives, citing their perception of Boston’s roster and respect for head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Amick theorizes that the Heat’s interest in Antetokounmpo has been prominent in the media lately because they don’t have to worry about offending a star, saying, “They don’t really care what Tyler Herro feels about getting traded.” Boston has to be more “sensitive” about putting Jaylen Brown‘s name in trade rumors, especially after smoothing over a controversy that erupted last month when it was reported that Brown had “frustration” regarding his role on the team.
Amick also suggests that a “wild card team” could “come out of the shadows” and make a late play for Antetokounmpo. He states that there are “a lot of teams that are looking at this and absolutely interested,” but have to “pay attention to their own locker room dynamics.”
Fischer’s Latest: Brown, Pelicans, Murphy, Kyrie, Sixers
The Pelicans have been “mentioned by various league executives” as one of the teams with interest in Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, NBA insider Jake Fischer said in his latest live stream for Bleacher Report (video link).
Fischer’s colleague Marc Stein previously named Atlanta, Houston, and Portland as teams to watch for Brown, though as Fischer points out, there have been no real indications yet that the Celtics will seriously consider the idea of trading the All-NBA second-teamer this offseason.
With Brown’s salary set to rise to $57MM in 2026/27, any Pelicans package for Brown would have to start with at least one of Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole, Dejounte Murray, or Trey Murphy III for matching purposes. Of those players, the versatile sharpshooter Murphy would almost certainly draw the most interest from the Celtics or other potential trade partners (in multi-team scenarios).
According to Fischer, San Antonio had been one of the teams most interested in Murphy over the past year or two, but the Spurs‘ run to the NBA Finals this spring makes them less likely to do anything drastic with their roster this summer.
Here are a few more highlights from Fischer’s live stream:
- While the Mavericks‘ new front office executives have expressed enthusiasm about seeing Cooper Flagg play alongside a healthy Kyrie Irving, Fischer doesn’t “necessarily believe” that Irving will still be on Dallas’ roster by the start of the 2026/27 season, noting that plenty of teams will inquire on the star point guard in the coming weeks. Irving missed all of ’25/26 while recovering from a torn ACL but should be ready to go for opening night in the fall.
- Although Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe look like the Sixers‘ top long-term building blocks, there’s no reason to believe Joel Embiid or Paul George will be going anywhere at this point, according to Fischer, who suggests that Philadelphia is “almost certain” to bring both players back. Embiid and George would be difficult to move for any real value due to their multiyear, maximum-salary contracts.
- Based on his conversations with sources around the NBA, Fischer wouldn’t be surprised if “most favorable” terms become more common on traded first-round picks, since that’s a way for teams stockpiling draft assets to hedge against the randomness of the new draft lottery format.
Heat Remain At Forefront Of Giannis Antetokounmpo Sweepstakes
As the Bucks continue to weigh possible trade options involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, the chatter about the Heat “remains louder than all the rest,” according to Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
As Amick and Nehm explain, many agents, executives, and other sources around the league believe the star forward will ultimately end up in Miami after the Heat seemingly came closer than any rival suitor to acquiring Antetokounmpo at February’s trade deadline. Those deadline discussions were so advanced, league sources tell The Athletic, that Heat officials believed a deal would get done before Milwaukee ultimately opted to stand pat.
NBA insider Jake Fischer also stated in his latest rumor round-up for Bleacher Report (video link) that he views the Heat as the top team to watch in the Giannis sweepstakes.
Both Fischer and The Athletic’s duo note that Antetokounmpo has long been intrigued by the Heat, with Fischer suggesting that interest dates back at least five or six years, while Amick and Nehm say the two-time MVP is “impressed” by the team culture in Miami.
As Amick and Nehm outline, the Heat’s offer would likely include 2025 All-Star Tyler Herro, young center Kel’el Ware, and Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Jaime Jaquez Jr., along with this year’s No. 13 overall pick and two future first-rounders.
Given that Milwaukee has been on the lookout for a package that features either a “blue-chip” young star or a ton of valuable first-round picks, it remains possible that the Heat could be outbid by another team with interest in Antetokounmpo.
However, some of those clubs may not be prepared to part with the player necessary to get a deal done – the Cavaliers, for instance, appear unwilling to give up Evan Mobley for Antetokounmpo – while others may be reluctant to give up a massive package for a player who only has one year left on his guaranteed contract. The Trail Blazers, for example, are said to have interest in Giannis, but the belief, as Amick and Nehm confirm, is that he prefers to remain in the Eastern Conference, so it’s unclear whether he’d sign an extension with a team like the Blazers. That makes Portland a less likely landing spot, per The Athletic.
Fischer also expressed skepticism about teams like the Thunder, Timberwolves, Warriors, and Rockets being serious threats for Antetokounmpo at this time.
In their story for The Athletic, Amick and Nehm also explore the Celtics and Magic as potential landing spots for Giannis. While there are no concrete indications that either team is in active pursuit of the 10-time All-Star, Antetokounmpo is believed to be “very intrigued” by the idea of ending up in Boston, per Amick and Nehm, and Orlando’s new head coach Sean Sweeney is very familiar with Giannis, having previously spent four seasons as an assistant coach in Milwaukee.
A Celtics offer for Antetokounmpo would likely have to include Jaylen Brown, who might need to be rerouted to a third team. Paolo Banchero, meanwhile, would probably have to be the centerpiece of a Magic offer.
If the Heat do manage to land Antetokounmpo, there will be questions about the club’s depth, as well as Giannis’ fit alongside Bam Adebayo, Amick and Nehm point out. As good as an Antetokounmpo/Adebayo duo would be defensively, neither player really stretches the floor on offense, so playing them alongside one another create spacing issues. However, the Heat don’t seem overly concerned about that potential issue as they attempt to land a star player for the first time since acquiring Jimmy Butler in 2019.
Hawks, Rockets, Trail Blazers Interested In Jaylen Brown?
Some people around the NBA think the Hawks, Rockets and Trail Blazers all have “legitimate trade interest” in Celtics star Jaylen Brown, Marc Stein reports at The Stein Line (Substack link).
Stein references Brown within a story largely centered on the uncertain future of Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is believed to have interest in joining Boston, though whether the Celtics reciprocate that interest is not yet known.
The framework of a possible blockbuster trade between Milwaukee and Boston that sees Antetokounmpo land with the Celtics would likely have to involve at least three teams, according to Stein, with Brown rerouted to a third club — potentially Atlanta, Houston or Portland — and the Bucks receiving unspecified assets.
Brown, 29, is coming off a career-best regular season in which he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.0 steal in 34.4 minutes per game across 71 appearances. He was named to his fourth straight All-Star team (fifth overall), finished a career-high sixth in MVP voting, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the second time.
Brown still has three years and $183MM remaining on the super-max extension he signed with Boston in 2023. The Georgia native was named Finals MVP when the Celtics won their 18th title in 2024.
Latest On Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Heat and Celtics are believed to be atop Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s current list of desired trade destinations, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
While Miami has long coveted the Bucks superstar and will likely have “substantive” talks with Milwaukee about a possible deal, Stein say’s it’s not certain how Boston feels about a potential franchise-altering trade that would likely have to involve Jaylen Brown and at least three teams.
Stein continues to hear Antetokounmpo prefers a trade to an Eastern Conference team capable of competing for championships rather than a move to the West. That presumably has to do with the strength of the Thunder and Spurs, whose young cores could make the two teams fixtures atop the conference for years to come.
Although Stein doesn’t expect the Mavericks to pursue Antetokounmpo this summer because they’re focused on building around Cooper Flagg (for what it’s worth, they also lack future first-round picks), league sources tell The Stein Line that the two-time MVP has long been intrigued by the possibility playing in Dallas.
As Stein explains, Antetokounmpo’s Mavs interest was first piqued by the possibility of teaming up with Luka Doncic, who was shockingly traded to the Lakers in February 2025. The 31-year-old continued to monitor the team from afar due to his close relationship with Jason Kidd, who recently parted ways with the team after five years as head coach, Stein writes.
The Mavericks did some background work leading up to the deadline to try to determine if Antetokounmpo was still interested in a possible trade to Dallas, according to Stein, who says Kidd’s exit wouldn’t necessarily preclude a deal. New Mavs president Masai Ujiri is also close to Antetokounmpo and the Raptors — Ujiri’s former team — were long linked to the Greek forward.
Still, Stein reiterates that Antetokounmpo is focused on Eastern clubs and he’s expected to have a considerable amount of say in trade talks, since he only has one guaranteed year on left on his contract. Antetokounmpo becomes extension-eligible in October.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, J. Brown, Broome, Edgecombe
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill would like to move the Nets back to her state. However, the Nets are content in their current home in New York City, the New York Post’s Brian Lewis reports.
“They’re perfectly happy in Brooklyn,” a league source told Lewis.
Sherrill hinted that at least one sports team might be coming to New Jersey. The Nets have played in Brooklyn since 2012 after 35 years in New Jersey, mostly in the Meadowlands.
“I mean, would I support it? I ask about it all the time,” Sherrill said of getting the Nets back. “I love the idea. So, I have been pressing for that. I haven’t made a lot of headway yet; you know, maybe in my second 100 days. But I do think there is some work being done for some — I don’t know if I’m allowed to say too much about it — but some people are working on some different sports coming into the Rock.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Celtics forward Jaylen Brown was chosen for the All-NBA Second Team, getting the most votes of any player who didn’t make the First Team. Brown suggested during a Twitch stream, as relayed by MassLive’s Brian Robb, that he hadn’t expected to get so much support. He received 44 First Team votes, 54 Second Team votes and two Third Team votes. “I’m not the most-liked, [by] fans or media,” Brown said. “Sometimes I use my platform a little controversial, so I’m surprised I’m on any team, let alone first or second. I’m grateful for everything. I’m not surprised about nothing.”
- Daryl Morey‘s last draft pick for the Sixers got very little playing time as a rookie, Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com notes. Johni Broome, who was selected at No. 35 last June, logged just 55 regular season minutes and made only four of his 24 shot attempts. Of his 11 appearances, 10 came in garbage time. Broome also dealt with a knee injury. However, it’s too early to completely dismiss the young power forward, Aaronson adds.
- On the flip side, the Sixers hit it big with lottery selection VJ Edgecombe, who immediately jumped into the starting lineup, Aaronson writes. Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey could be the league’s most promising long-term backcourt after Edgecombe averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game in his rookie campaign.
NBA Announces 2025/26 All-NBA Teams
The league has officially announced its three All-NBA teams, recognizing the top performers for the 2025/26 season (all Twitter links).
A total of 100 media members voted on the All-NBA teams, with First Team votes counting for five points, Second Team votes counting for three points, and Third Team votes counting for one point.
This year’s All-NBA teams are as follows (each player’s point total is noted in parentheses):
First Team
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (500 points)- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (500)
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs (498)
- Luka Doncic, Lakers (482)
- Cade Cunningham, Pistons (414)
Second Team
- Jaylen Brown, Celtics (384)
- Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (277)
- Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers (276)
- Kevin Durant, Rockets (241)
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks (197)
Third Team
- Tyrese Maxey, Sixers (168)
- Jamal Murray, Nuggets (149)
- Jalen Johnson, Hawks (125)
- Jalen Duren, Pistons (121)
- Chet Holmgren, Thunder (87)
Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic, this season’s Most Valuable Player and runner-up, respectively, were the only unanimous first-teamers, with Wembanyama coming a single vote away — he had one Second Team vote to go along with 99 First Team votes.
Doncic and Cunningham each technically fell short of meeting the 65-game minimum required to be eligible for All-NBA and other major awards, but they appealed that ruling and were deemed award-eligible by the league. Doncic would have met the criteria if he hadn’t missed time due to the birth of a child, while Cunningham fell short after suffering a collapsed lung, so both players were granted “extraordinary circumstances” exceptions.
Notably, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who played 61 games, also applied for an extraordinary circumstances exception. However, his request was denied, so his name didn’t show up on award ballots even though he likely would’ve been voted onto an All-NBA team if voters could’ve selected him. Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LeBron James – who had made 21 consecutive All-NBA teams – were among the other superstars who didn’t meet the 65-game criteria.
Outside of the 15 players who made All-NBA teams, another dozen players showed up on at least one ballot, starting with Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who had 26 voting points (Twitter link).
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (14 points), Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (9), Cavaliers guard James Harden (6), Rockets center Alperen Sengun (6), Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (5), Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5), Heat big man Bam Adebayo (4), and Celtics guard Derrick White (3) all earned multiple votes, while Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, and Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley earned one Third Team vote apiece.
As usual, there are also financial implications worth noting related to the All-NBA teams. First and foremost, Duren will now be eligible to sign a contract with the Pistons that starts at up to 30% of the 2026/27 salary cap as a restricted free agent this summer. That means he could earn up to a projected $287.1MM over five years.
If he hadn’t made All-NBA, Duren’s maximum five-year contract with Detroit would’ve been worth a projected $239.3MM. Either way, the most a rival team can offer him is four years and $177.4MM.
Maxey and Cunningham are on their way to meeting the super-max (ie. Designated Veteran) criteria but would need to earn All-NBA honors again in 2027 to become eligible for maximum-salary extensions worth up to 35% of the cap instead of 30%.
Wembanyama is in a similar boat — despite making the All-NBA First Team and being named Defensive Player of the Year, he would need to achieve one of those feats again in 2027 in order to increase the maximum value of his next contract from 25% to the cap to 30% via the Rose rule. Wembanyama will be eligible to sign a rookie scale extension this offseason and is a lock to do so.
Paolo Banchero and Jalen Williams had Rose rule language in their maximum-salary rookie scale extensions, which were signed last offseason and will go into effect this July. They could’ve increased their respective starting salaries beyond 25% of the cap if they’d made an All-NBA team, but neither player did.
Interestingly, the maximum-salary rookie scale extension that the Thunder negotiated with Holmgren in 2025 did not include a Rose rule escalator, so the projected value of the big man’s contract (five years, $239.3MM) remains unchanged even though he earned a spot on the Third Team. It’ll go into effect this year and will be identical to Williams’ deal.
Finally, Edwards would have become eligible to sign a super-max extension with the Timberwolves during the 2027 offseason if he had been named to an All-NBA team this season. Because he didn’t qualify, he’ll need to make All-NBA next season in order to meet the performance criteria for a Designated Veteran extension.
Eastern Notes: Wizards, Brown, Celtics, Pacers
The Wizards have won 15, 18, and 17 games in the past three seasons, but team owner Ted Leonsis has no regrets about pivoting to a full roster tear-down – or, as he calls it, a “deconstruction” – after several years mired in mediocrity, he tells Barry Svrluga of The Athletic. Leonsis indicated that he’s happy with the job team president Michael Winger has done to position the Wizards for a more promising future.
“(Winger) said to me three or four times, ‘You know, this could take four or five years,'” Leonsis said. “And I said, ‘I totally understand. I’ve been through the deconstructing stage with the (NHL’s Washington Capitals). I lived through it the first time with the Wizards. I’m prepared. … I don’t see any other path to get out of where we are than deconstruct.’ And they executed it very, very well.”
Of course, the Wizards’ future looks much more positive after the May 10 draft lottery than it did before it — armed with the No. 1 overall pick in a loaded 2026 draft, Washington is in position to add a long-term franchise cornerstone to its young core. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Wizards will become a contender overnight. Leonsis told Svrluga that he considers the rebuild to be “just starting” rather than ending.
“I think it’s an important point on this long, long journey that we’ll be on.” the Wizards’ owner said, before pausing and adding, “The deconstruction, though, is over.”
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- So what exactly should the Wizards do with that first overall pick? One rival front office official told Josh Robbins and David Aldridge of The Athletic that figuring that out is a “great (expletive) problem to have.” Of the 13 executives and scouts who spoke to Robbins and Aldridge, seven said they’d take AJ Dybantsa, two expressed a preference for Darryn Peterson, one said he’d want Cameron Boozer, and three didn’t commit to a specific prospect.
- While Jaylen Brown will technically be eligible for a contract extension as of July 26, Brian Robb of MassLive.com notes that the Celtics will likely feel no sense of urgency to get a new deal done at this point, given that there are still three years left on Brown’s current super-max contract. Robb doesn’t expect a Brown extension to be among Brad Stevens‘ offseason priorities.
- Observing that the Celtics want to get more athletic and add another ball-handler this summer, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required) explores whether the club might be able to address either of those needs with the No. 27 overall pick in the draft. Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie, Duke forward Isaiah Evans, and Texas wing Dailyn Swain are among the prospects Washburn considers as possible targets for Boston.
- After losing their first-round pick on lottery night, what’s next for the Pacers this summer? Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) attempts to answer that question, noting that the team may want to add another wing with size. Dopirak examines which trade and free agent targets might be realistic for Indiana and weighs whether it would make sense for the club to trade back into the draft, likely in the second round.
And-Ones: Social Justice Award, Wemby, Leg Injuries, McGrady
Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Spurs forward Harrison Barnes, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Pistons forward Tobias Harris, and Cavaliers big man Larry Nance Jr. are the five finalists for the 2026 Social Justice Champion award, the NBA announced in a press release.
“The annual award honors a current NBA player for pursuing social justice and will receive the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar trophy for advancing Abdul-Jabbar’s life mission to engage, empower and drive equality for individuals and groups who have been historically disadvantaged,” the release states.
“The NBA Social Justice Champion will be announced during the Conference Finals of the 2026 NBA Playoffs and receive a $100,000 donation from the NBA for a non-profit organization of his choosing.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is unlikely to suit up for the French national team for a pair of 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying games in early July, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops, but the former No. 1 overall pick is expected to be available during the second qualifying window in late August. San Antonio’s deep playoff run — the Spurs are set to face Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals — is the reason why Wembanyama probably won’t play for Team France in July.
- Kirk Goldsberry of The Ringer takes a data-focused look at the NBA’s significant rise in soft-tissue leg injuries and considers what measures the league could take to mitigate them.
- Hall-of-Famer Tracy McGrady relaunched his Ones Basketball League at Oak Ridge High School in Orlando on Friday, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. “I thought it was a great atmosphere,” McGrady said of the rowdy crowd. “Orlando showed a lot of support. I thought the guys played extremely well, played hard. … All in all, I think it was a great showing. And hopefully the crowd that was here got an opportunity to see some good basketball and understand what we’re trying to build.” Beede passes along more details about the one-on-one league, which will conclude on July 1 with a prize of $100,000.
Hawks Could Be Among Suitors For Jaylen Brown
The Celtics and Hawks had a “brief conversation” last offseason about Jaylen Brown, according to Chris Mannix of NBC Sports (video link), who expects them to revisit the idea of a trade this summer (hat tip to BasketNews).
Mannix adds that initial talks between the teams were only exploratory because Atlanta was “leery” about taking on Brown’s $53.1MM salary and wasn’t “really in a position to go all in” with a developing roster. He states that Boston wasn’t “looking to give Jaylen Brown away” so there wasn’t much common ground to work out a deal.
Brown wound up posting the best statistical season of his career as the team’s primary scoring threat while Jayson Tatum was recovering from an Achilles tear. However, the season ended in disappointment with a first-round playoff loss to Philadelphia, so Mannix believes the Celtics could consider moving on from Brown’s pricey deal, which still has three years remaining at more than $183MM.
A late-season surge propelled the Hawks to the No. 6 seed, so they could be more open to taking on salary this offseason in hopes of becoming a serious contender in 2026/27.
In addition to the Hawks, Mannix states that several other clubs could make a run at Brown if he becomes available. He mentions the Heat, Rockets and Warriors as teams that are expected to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo and suggests they could turn their attention to Brown if they fail to land the Bucks star.
As Mannix notes, it has been a tumultuous week for Brown since the Celtics were eliminated last Saturday. He blasted series officials on his Twitch stream, claiming they had “an agenda” against him that resulted in an unusually high number of offensive fouls, and singled out Sixers star Joel Embiid for flopping. His remarks on the referees resulted in a $50K fine from the league.
There was also a backlash from Boston fans after Brown called this his “favorite season” even with the early playoff exit. NBC’s Tracy McGrady, who has served as Brown’s mentor, claimed that he has “frustration” with the Celtics behind the scenes, leading president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to tell reporters at his end-of-season press conference on Wednesday that Brown hasn’t expressed any unhappiness to him.
Brown tried to diffuse the situation later in the week by reaffirming his commitment to the organization and stating that he would like to finish his career in Boston. He also denied any friction with Stevens, saying they have a “great relationship.”
While Brown is an all-NBA talent and won’t turn 30 until October, his contract could make some teams think twice about making a deal. He’ll earn $57MM next season, $61MM in 2027/28 and nearly $65MM in 2028/29 before becoming a free agent that summer.