MIAMI — For a moment, it appeared the Heat would have a moment to decompress before having to reassess.
The result? Less than a week removed from postseason elimination, speculation season already is back in full force for the Heat, back where it was at February’s trading deadline, back at the doorstep of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Like seemingly everyone who has traded a jersey for street clothes in recent years, former Heat guard Goran Dragic decided it is time to debut a podcast.
First up on Gogi’s Garage? Antetokounmpo, Dragic’s teammate for a few brief months with the Bucks in 2023 after 6 1/2 previous seasons with the Heat.
Unlike Udonis Haslem and the fine line the former Heat captain and current Heat vice president of basketball development is walking in his analyst role on Prime, Dragic is able to work without restriction, even while having professed interest in a future Heat role and even while treated with VIP respect at Kaseya Center.
Nicknamed Gogi, Dragic long has had a way of cutting to the candor in his conversations, with his podcast no different.
So somewhat oddly in front of the backdrop of the Bucks’ practice facility, there sat Antetokounmpo for what at times felt like a Heat sales pitch.
Goran: “Can I say something? You’re 31 years old, so you need to think about your knees, you know, to be loose. So you need warm climate, man.”
Giannis: “Hey, Miami’s not a bad place, man. Beautiful, beautiful city, beautiful city. Beautiful city, believe it or not, believe it or not.”
And on it went, whimsical questioning, open-ended answers, including more, teasing?
Giannis: “Miami. Miami, Miami. I think LA superficial. I don’t like LA.”
Three years ago, Damian Lillard could not have been more direct in his desire to relocate from Portland to Miami, an approach that backfired and had him, in a touch of irony, landing in Milwaukee alongside Giannis.
This time, the Antetokounmpo situation is playing out as a passion play of passive aggression. He loves Milwaukee, but freely mentions Miami.
Then again 11 months ago, asked in a Q&A on X for his, “favorite road city to play,” Giannis answered “New York.” And, no, he was not a Knick this past season.
Still, during an exit interview for the season with Milwaukee media, Antetokounmpo was asked if he perhaps had played his final game with the Bucks.
“That’s a very good question,” he told reporters. “I don’t know. It’s not up to me anymore. It’s not up to me. We’ll see.”
But it is. With a player option for 2027-28, the coming season could be the last on his current contract under Bucks control. If an extension can’t be reached, the Bucks would be in the type of corner never experienced by the Trail Blazers with Lillard and his locked-in long-term deal.
In February, the Heat’s bid was on play until the 11th hour at the trade deadline. Now it could come down to these early stages of the postseason, if a playoff favorite comes up short, decides to join the pursuit.
“You want to win, everybody wants to win, so you gotta make the best decision for yourself,” Antetokounmpo told Dragic.
And then there are the Heat, a team that finished No. 10 in the East, one spot ahead of Giannis’ Bucks, the Heat postseason lasting one game longer than the lottery Bucks.