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Zach Lowe on Giannis Antetokounmpo: Miami is the frontrunner to me until I hear like concrete evidence that anyone has beaten the offer that has been sitting there for a long time. We don't know exactly what it is. We know that I keep seeing these reports like Milwaukee doesn't love Miami's offer. It's like, really? You don't think they do? He's still on the Bucks. Like, if they loved it, I think this would have been done by now. But I'm not even ruling out like a mystery team that that might jump in. These things can take some unpredictable turns as deadlines approach, and I think a big deadline is approaching. So, I would still brand Miami the front runner, but obviously the Bucks are waiting for more from them, whether they extract it via leverage, whether Miami just decides it we're done we just need to get it done. Because if they liked Miami's offer, he'd be on Miami.
Heat Central: “Since the day after the season ended for the Heat, I have been saying Giannis is going to be a member of the Heat next season. I’m going to stick with that. I think a trade gets done on draft day. I’m gonna guess the last possible minute, they find a deal and they get Giannis.” — @Anthony_Chiang on his Giannis to Miami prediction.
Speaking of Plan Bs, league sources say the Portland Trail Blazers would have serious interest in Brown if the Celtics made him available. The Blazers have been among the suitors for Antetokounmpo since the February trade deadline but appear to be on the outside looking in at the moment. Also, league sources say the Minnesota Timberwolves — whose pursuit of Antetokounmpo also appears to have cooled — have strong interest in the Celtics’ Derrick White.
Several sources have conveyed that Milwaukee GM Jon Horst has established especially ambitious asking prices in Giannis talks. The word that keeps coming back: "Unrealistic." The Bucks naturally want as much as they can if they're parting with their Face of the Franchise, so what constitutes unrealistic? Sources say Milwaukee has been asking teams for returns that would leave any club acquiring Antetokounmpo too barren to contend for a championship.
Jon Krawczynski: All of this from @sam_amick and @eric_nehm from last week still applies with the Wolves and Giannis. It would be incredibly difficult. But Connelly's aggressive mindset means you can't count them out while he's still available.
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To be clear: I don't get the sense that the Bucks don't want Herro. I've actually heard that Milwaukee and Herro have mutual interest. But the Bucks will clearly be trending toward a total reset from the Antetokounmpo Era if they proceed with a trade over the next few days. If they can get additional future assets by shipping Herro to Detroit or elsewhere ... how could they resist?
In Memphis, Ja Morant was once the superstar whose uncertain future we analyzed at every turn. And then, somewhere along the line, the noise around him went quiet. Yet league sources say the Grizzlies are hopeful that Morant will be some team’s Plan B when the dust settles on Antetokounmpo’s situation. The Heat, in particular, have long been known to have serious interest in the 26-year-old, two-time All-Star. The thinking, it seems, is that Miami’s potential package might reset the market that has otherwise been extremely soft for Morant.
Jeff Weltman was asked by the Orlando Sentinel about the idea that the Magic are a “dark horse” team to land Giannis Antetokounmpo. “First of all, you know I’m not allowed to speak about that,” Weltman told the Sentinel on Thursday after Sweeney was formally introduced at the AdventHealth Training Center. “I’m not allowed to talk about another team’s player.” “I just think that, to me, “Weltman said, “I take it as a compliment that we have a lot of players that the league is interested in and that we could even be thrown into that conversation speaks to the talent on this roster. So, that’s my big takeaway from that.”
“Obviously I won’t comment on any discussions we’re having with teams or where our agendas are,” Weltman told the Sentinel. “I know a lot’s been written about that. But I think, like, you can’t get into that conversation without talent, you know? So, to me, I take that as a compliment and I know we have a lot of work to do, but we have a lot of belief in our team.”
“We’re doing all the work that we need to (do) to try to puzzle the roster out,” Weltman said Thursday. “I do think there’s some kind of basic holes that we want to punch where we can improve the roster and augment the players that we have. “Obviously the most important part of this whole process has been bringing Sean in the right way,” he added. “… It’s been a busy time organizationally but we have been at work on the draft and free agency, so hopefully we’re putting ourselves in a position to have a good summer.”
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Zach Lowe: I would still bet on him getting traded before the draft. My favorite reporting in the last week has been ‘sources say MIL doesn’t love MIA offer.’ Really? If they loved MIA’s offer I think he’d be on Miami like two months ago. Miami is in it. Boston is in it to some degree. The degree I’m not entirely sure…. I still think it happens before the draft because MIL will want a 1st round pick in this draft. A lot of teams are trying to get a bite at the apple in the middle of the lottery
