After months of drawn-out conjecture, Giannis Antetokounmpo has finally been shipped to the Miami Heat.
At first, it looked like Detroit might join the fray as a third party, but reports came out yesterday that the Pistons stepped back from negotiations likely because they balked at the price of bringing in Tyler Herro, a player who suited up for just 33 games last season and is now on an expiring deal.
Even though Detroit hasn’t secured what they’re after just yet, this transaction still shakes out as nearly the ideal outcome for the Pistons.
Giannis is no longer in the Central Division, and he didn’t end up with the Celtics.
The choice reportedly boiled down to Miami versus Boston, and Milwaukee apparently had doubts about whether Jaylen Brown would embrace life in Wisconsin long-term. So they opted for the Heat’s package instead which was essentially a mixed bag of decent but unspectacular pieces, lacking any true crown jewel.
The silver lining for Detroit is that Giannis is out of the division, meaning they won’t have to face him four times a year anymore a welcome relief, given how thoroughly the Greek Freak has feasted on them throughout his career.
Instead, Giannis lands in South Beach, where Miami just surrendered a significant chunk of their roster and draft capital to bring him in. Bam Adebayo and Giannis could form an All-NBA frontcourt, but the surrounding cast is thin, and their avenues for adding more talent are limited.
The Heat have a knack for figuring things out, and having Giannis will certainly draw ring-chasers their way, but they’re strapped for assets and hard-capped, so bringing in any meaningful reinforcements will be no small feat.
The dream scenario for Detroit and for the rest of the league was Giannis winding up with a team that wasn’t already a powerhouse, one that would have to empty its coffers to acquire him.
I’m not convinced Giannis automatically turns Miami into a championship lock, and it’s certainly less worrisome than if he had gone to a squad like Boston or Oklahoma City.
The Pistons are still in the mix for Tyler Herro.
Even though this deal was announced as a two-team swap, there’s a real possibility that additional teams get looped in before it becomes official in the first week of July.
The Bucks might still decide Herro isn’t in their plans and redirect him to Detroit either as part of this same agreement or through a separate move.
The Pistons have made their asking price clear and hold some bargaining power here, so if Milwaukee does come knocking, Detroit might be able to land Herro without surrendering too much especially since he’s not a player Trajan Langdon is prepared to empty the cupboard for.
I notice fans overreacting to every transaction that happens, but this offseason is still on track to be a significant one for Detroit, and this Giannis move hasn’t altered that trajectory.
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