“… When they say, like, playoff Jimmy is real, a lot of times you think, oh, people just gave you a nickname. No… This is real. And I’m an eye test person.” Those were Dwyane Wade’s words just about a week ago, and honestly, they hit home for anyone who’s seen Jimmy Butler go into beast mode in the postseason. But then came something even more telling—what made Wade believe that the Miami Heat’s journey still held weight, even without their biggest star?

Wade peeled back that layer during the latest episode of his Dwyane Wade podcast. The conversation started with Wade recalling his conversation with Bam Adebayo on FaceTime in Udonis Haslem’s presence. The 27-year-old Heat star had claimed he wanted all the smoke in the playoffs. Dwyane Wade’s response back then? Something that might’ve made Pat Riley regret giving up Butler ahead of such a crucial stage.

“You don’t want that Cleveland smoke, dog.” It seems, however, Dwyane Wade didn’t want to paint his former organization in a bad light. So he gave Miami credit where he believed it was due. And that’s when The Flash revealed why Heat’s run was special without Jimmy Butler.

“To give my organization some credit, to go through what they went through this year with losing their best player [Butler]. I think now we really starting to see what Jimmy Butler really meant to the Miami Heat… [losing Jimmy] exposed the Miami Heat in a lot of ways,” Wade admitted on the podcast. He further emphasized the Heat making a comeback with around 8 wins despite facing 10 consecutive losses before that.

“But then they lost four straight. This is the team that they’ve been all year and like, for them to fight and have a chance…” Wade reflected, making it clear that the mere fight was something to appreciate. Still loyal to the core, Dwyane Wade made it known that he’s not turning his back on the franchise he helped put on the map. “Let’s get this over with… Get to the next year… Get to the draft. Let’s regroup. Let’s get to free agents.” And just like that, you can tell—he’s still right there with them, ride or die.

Could the Heat be eying a big name this off-season, as suggested by Dwyane Wade?

With their season cut short once again, the Heat might be gearing up for a major move this offseason—and it could involve one of the league’s biggest names. After the Milwaukee Bucks stumbled in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, questions about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s long-term future in Milwaukee have started swirling. Naturally, trade chatter followed. Among the more buzz worthy suggestions came from FOX Sports, which floated a blockbuster proposal between the Heat and Bucks.

Heat acquire: F Giannis Antetokounmpo
Bucks acquire: C Bam Adebayo, F Jaime Jaquez Jr., F Kyle Anderson, three first-round picks (2026, 2028, 2030)

Miami may have slightly more flexibility than Milwaukee when it comes to trade assets, but the Heat’s stash of tradable first-rounders is limited—only 2029 and 2031 are currently available.

On the other hand, Milwaukee’s draft cupboard is nearly bare, largely due to past deals like the Jrue Holiday trade. Their 2025 first-rounder is already spoken for—heading to either New Orleans (if top-4 protected) or Brooklyn—leaving them with little leverage to kick-start a rebuild through the draft.

That makes any hypothetical Giannis Antetokounmpo trade far more complex. A package built around late first-round picks simply wouldn’t cut it for the Bucks. Instead, a realistic Miami offer would have to center on Bam Adebayo. As painful as that would be for Heat fans, Adebayo represents the kind of cornerstone Milwaukee could retool around without plunging into a full rebuild.

Acquiring a generational force like Giannis would push Pat Riley and the front office to at least consider the move—though it’s a franchise-altering decision that wouldn’t be made lightly.

Do you think the Heat should push for the Greek Freak? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.