If LeBron James joined the Miami Heat, Giannis Antetokounmpo's decision to leave the Milwaukee Bucks would have been more justified. A franchise-altering player like LeBron was never signing in Milwaukee, so playing in a bigger market gave the Greek Freak a better shot to join a star-studded roster. Well, with James heading to Philadelphia, that dream is dead.
Without LeBron, Heat's roster is...fine
Giannis wanted to leave the Milwaukee Bucks because he felt like he had a better chance to compete elsewhere. Fine. Yet, after what has been a busy summer for both Miami and Milwaukee, are the Heat really in a far better position than the Bucks could have been had Giannis stayed and the front office gone all-in on contending? That's up for debate.
Yes, Miami has a clear-cut All-Star in Bam Adebayo, but the rest of the roster is nothing to write home about. Andrew Wiggins is solid, though he has declined. Davion Mitchell's offense could make him an odd fit. Bobby Portis can produce but has well-documented defensive limitations. Tim Hardaway Jr. can shoot the lights out but is getting older. Is that team ready for championship contention?
Even if he's 41, LeBron would have made that team more formidable. Now that the 76ers scooped up the four-time MVP, Miami's next moves will be far less exciting. Sure, they could grab a big name such as DeMar DeRozan, Russell Westbrook, or Bradley Beal, but at this point in their careers, the idea of the players in question may be better than the actual players.
It's legitimately worth questioning whether this Heat team can make a title run.
Bucks could have built a strong team around Giannis
Had Giannis fully committed to Milwaukee, the Bucks could have made some noise. They had already solved arguably their greatest issue from last season by firing Doc Rivers and hiring Taylor Jenkins to be their next coach. Armed with three tradeable first-round picks and a boatload of salary, the Bucks could have made a splash or two to tweak this roster after a poor three-year stretch.
Who exactly the Milwaukee Bucks could have chased is up in the air. Trey Murphy III is rumored to be out there. LaMelo Ball got moved—the Bucks do love their star point guards. Maybe they could have called about Jaylen Brown if the Boston Celtics were willing. The uber-aggressive Jon Horst would have done something to put this team in a position to contend.
All of that goes without even mentioning Milwaukee's star rookie, Brayden Burries. The Bucks had the 10th pick in this past draft regardless of the Giannis outcome and could have paired the two together. If Burries looks as good in the regular season as he did in the Summer League, it could cause some regret on Giannis' end in the near future.
Sure, maybe the Heat will surprise everyone and make a championship push this season. Far crazier things have happened. Yet, without LeBron James in tow, that will be far more challenging.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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