At this level within the NBA season, it is clear that the Miami Warmth are in determined want of an enormous commerce. With out one, they threat a 3rd straight look within the play-in event and probably one other wasted season.
Thankfully for them, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo might quickly turn into accessible, an uncomfortable actuality for Bucks followers however an actual risk. In actual fact, it is fully potential that Giannis will quickly play his closing recreation with the Bucks, with the NBA commerce deadline little greater than a month away.
The Warmth are hoping to be the group that lands him, they usually do have a puncher’s likelihood, although the NBA is not doing them any favors. By now everybody is aware of that Warmth guard Terry Rozier allegedly wager on video games and is not with the group despite the fact that he’s nonetheless below contract for $26.6 million this season.
Even regardless of the controversy surrounding him, his expiring contract may very well be a helpful asset since it could enable one other group to shed severe wage had been they to accumulate him. Miami clearly hopes to make use of that contract in an enormous commerce.
Particularly if it nets them Giannis, however because the Ringer’s Invoice Simmons factors out, the NBA is screwing over the Warmth.
That is ridiculous. It’s actually his job to resolve on stuff like this. https://t.co/yrHEYQTNuq
— Invoice Simmons (@BillSimmons) December 17, 2025
The NBA has completely screwed the Warmth within the Terry Rozier debacle
The issue is that the Warmth don’t know whether or not they can really transfer Rozier’s contract till they submit a commerce to the league. That places the Warmth in a bind. They’ve an enormous expiring contract that may very well be a helpful commerce piece however will not really know whether or not they can use it till a commerce is within the closing levels.
Idk if the Warmth ought to get their very own choose again, but when they cannot even transfer Rozier, they need to not less than get a compensatory choose. It simply strikes me as unusual and a bit unfair that the Hornets had been allowed to toss that grenade to the Warmth and now Miami’s coping with the increase. https://t.co/LytuS8I5dY
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) December 17, 2025
The NBA opting to not inform them beforehand is absurd and baffling on the similar time. Think about if the Warmth and Bucks comply with the framework of a Giannis commerce and Miami believes that they’re about to land a top-3 participant just for the commerce to be rejected.
That might ship the Warmth scrambling to incorporate different gamers and even different groups to try to substitute his practically $27 million wage.
The Warmth have one other technique to commerce for Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Rozier scenario is a wierd scenario that’s nearly unprecedented in NBA historical past, however so is the league’s response. They, based on the NBA’s Brian Windhorst, have recognized concerning the allegations surrounding Rozier for practically a 12 months.
But they have not clued the Warmth in as as to whether his contract might be traded. If it may be, nice! No hurt, no foul (pun very a lot meant). But when it could possibly’t, then Miami ought to have rap beef with the NBA.
Positive, there are different ways in which they’ll match wage in a potential Giannis commerce. I.e., sending Tyler Herro to Milwaukee and Andrew Wiggins to a 3rd group such because the Los Angeles Lakers, who’ve loads of expiring contracts to ship out, with Giannis heading to South Seashore.
Nevertheless, the Warmth might probably get extra bang for his or her buck by buying and selling Wiggins individually and utilizing Rozier’s wage as a replacement. That might clearly enable Miami to salvage the disastrous Rozier scenario not less than considerably, with them nonetheless owing the Charlotte Hornets a protected first-round choose. Sadly, the league has dropped the ball and left the Warmth in limbo.
