Zach Lowe just asked the question every Heat executive should be dreading: Is Giannis Antetokounmpo worth gutting the future for? Few players can alter a franchise’s trajectory like Giannis Antetokounmpo. The problem is, Miami already knows the answer might be no and that hesitation is opening the door for Boston.

Pat Riley’s Heat have surfaced in every Giannis trade conversation, and pairing him with Bam Adebayo carries real appeal on paper. The duo would immediately project Miami into Eastern Conference contention, something the franchise hasn’t sustained since Jimmy Butler’s departure. But the price tag is where the romance ends. During his recent appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Zach Lowe put the cost in plain terms.

“If we do this and all our 1st round picks are out the door, and (Kasparas) Jakucionis is out the door, what is it going to amount to?” Lowe asked.

The concern isn’t abstract. Miami’s draft capital, stacked through 2032, including a potential top-14 pick in 2027, represents one of the more valuable asset portfolios in the league. Kasparas Jakucionis, their rookie guard, has drawn league-wide attention as a genuine long-term building block. Surrendering both would leave the Heat with Giannis, Bam, and very little room to maneuver if the pairing doesn’t deliver.

Lowe’s logic is pointed- keeping those assets preserves flexibility. Losing them for a player who hasn’t reached a conference finals in five years is a different kind of gamble.

Bill Simmons framed it even more bluntly.

“You’re getting a guy who hasn’t made the conference finals in 5 years. Who has had trouble staying healthy, and your banking, he’s going to change your playoff destiny? The more you put in the trade, the less likely that goes,” Simmons said.

The Bucks haven’t had a pretty postseason since their 2021 glory. Giannis missed multiple games during the Bucks’ shocking 2023 first-round exit to the Heat due to a back injury.

The Bucks’ attempt to pair the big man with Damian Lillard failed to produce a deep playoff run either. In 2024, he missed the entire postseason with a calf strain. In 2025, the team didn’t make it past the first round, and in this past season, the Bucks didn’t even qualify for the postseason.

That’s four consecutive years of postseason failure for the league’s former standard-bearer, with Giannis either injured, limited, or simply not enough. The Damian Lillard pairing, constructed with championship intent, couldn’t change that math.

And yet, the Heat’s hesitation isn’t purely analytical. The concern is structural: a franchise built around flexibility and depth doesn’t rebuild by trading its entire future for a player entering his age-31 season with a mounting injury ledger.

That reluctance, per the conversation Lowe and Simmons were having, appears to be real, and it matters because someone else is circling.

Celtics still in the hunt for Giannis Antetokounmpo

While Zach Lowe questioned whether the Heat should empty their cupboard for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bill Simmons dropped a major update about the Celtics. 

Speaking on the same podcast, Simmons revealed that Boston has recently put its offer on the table for the Bucks.

“From what I heard, they made an offer in the past week. I don’t know what the offer was. I don’t know who was in it, but they are in it. Their hat was in the ring,” Simmons said.

If Boston has indeed made an offer, Jaylen Brown immediately emerges as the most logical centerpiece.

First and foremost, he is one of the few players who is capable of matching Giannis’ salary. And also, this trade will provide the Bucks with a certified cornerstone.

Last season, Brown delivered an MVP-caliber performance, averaging 29.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, and 5.1 apg while shooting at 47.7% FG.

Most importantly, he managed to shoulder the workload in the absence of Jayson Tatum and finished second in the East.

So, this makes the Celtics’ Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade highly possible. Rather than constructing a package involving multiple players and future assets, the Bucks would simply replace Giannis with an equivalent. Financially, this trade scenario has very few complications. Giannis’ contract aligns with Brown’s supermax deal.

However, one significant complication remains.

According to veteran insider Marc J. Spears, Brown has little to no interest in playing for the Bucks. If his stance remains unchanged, the Bucks and Celtics will have to work out a multi-team deal rather than a star-for-star swap.

Either way, taking Zach Lowe’s insights in hand, the Celtics wouldn’t lose much in this scenario, compared to the Heat’s possible offer.