New details have emerged on the Miami Heat‘s pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo as the 2026 NBA Draft arrives. According to ESPN, the Heat have offered the Bucks players on cost-controlled contracts along with significant draft capital, including Miami’s No. 13 pick in this year’s draft.
That structure aligns with what Milwaukee has reportedly prioritized throughout the process: young, affordable talent and future picks to fuel a rebuild. The No. 13 selection gives the Bucks an immediate asset in a draft that begins Tuesday.
The “cost-controlled” language is notable, because it would seem to point away from two of Miami’s most-discussed names. Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are both extension-eligible at unpredictable rates, which makes it hard to consider either as truly cost-controlled. That detail suggests a piece like Kel’el Ware, who remains on a cheaper, more predictable rookie-scale deal, may be central to the package.
Still, the money has to match. To absorb Antetokounmpo’s salary, the Heat would almost certainly need to include a larger contract such as Herro’s. Another route would be Andrew Wiggins, who could be moved via sign-and-trade if he opts into his player option and the Bucks are willing to wait on that mechanism. Either way, salary-matching realities suggest a bigger deal will be attached to the cost-controlled core.
Perhaps the most significant update concerns the structure of any deal. The Bucks are not expected to include a third team in an Antetokounmpo trade, per ESPN, and are focused solely on negotiating with the Celtics and Heat. That marks a shift from earlier reporting, which suggested Milwaukee wanted a third-team facilitator to recoup draft assets, as we covered.
ESPN reported that both Boston and Miami are preferred destinations for Antetokounmpo, who has been the focus of ongoing trade speculation for more than a year. The Heat have long been viewed as frontrunners. With the draft set for Tuesday and Milwaukee narrowing its focus to two teams, a resolution to the league’s biggest saga may finally be near.
