ASK IRA: If Heat had the choice, would/should it be Jaylen or Giannis?

Q: Ira, since you are part of the noise, one more question for you: Would you rather have Giannis Antetokounmpo or Jaylen Brown? – Herman.

A: First, no one is sure that even would be a choice, with nothing definitive about Jaylen Brown being available, or, for that matter, nothing definitive about the Bucks trading Giannis Antetokounmpo (which is why this is all such a waiting game). But if you do want to consider some sort of wheel, where it’s Giannis to Boston, Jaylen to Miami and the Heat’s best package (plus possible pieces from Boston) to the Bucks, it does create pause. Giannis is the better player than Jaylen. But when it comes to chemistry, a case could be made for Brown being the better Heat fit alongside Bam Adebayo. Basically, either would make the Heat better (which is not saying much, considering the Heat are coming off consecutive 10th-place finishes). But as with all trades, it typically is about the best player in play, which, in this case, would remain Giannis.

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Q: This is all a strategy by Milwaukee to fleece more out of Pat Riley or whatever organization wants to trade for Giannis.  – Spencer.

A: Which is what any organization should be trying to do. The difference here is the Heat’s starting point basically has been anything and everything the Bucks could want shy of Bam Adebayo. So if Milwaukee is pushing for even more, there isn’t that much more there to give.

Q: When is the last time you have answered this many questions about a player who wasn’t on the Heat? – Nathan.

A: Easy, that would have been the Summer of ’23, when you simply could have subbed out the amount of times “Giannis” has been used in this space in recent weeks for the name “Dame.” The reality is that the Damian Lillard chase went on for months, until he finally was dealt by the Trail Blazers to the Bucks in September 2023. The expectation with Giannis Antetokounmpo is resolution by the June 23 first round of the draft. (Of course, if you also factor in the amount of times Giannis was mentioned prior to February’s NBA trade deadline, the count would be pretty darn close.)