After refusing to part with promising big man Kel’el Ware in their pursuit of Kevin Durant this summer, the Miami Heat may be changing course. According to multiple reports, the franchise would now be willing to include the 7-footer in a potential trade package for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Ware on the Table, Adebayo Off Limits
GettyBam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Kel’el Ware of the Miami Heat react against the Atlanta Hawks during the third quarter of an NBA play-in tournament game on April 18, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reported that Ware — Miami’s 2024 first-round pick and a centerpiece of their youth movement — would no longer be off-limits if the Bucks ever make Antetokounmpo available. However, Jackson added that Bam Adebayo remains untouchable in any discussions.
“If Giannis Antetokounmpo had asked out, the Heat was prepared to make an offer that did not include Bam Adebayo, according to a source,” Jackson wrote. “But it’s unlikely any such offer would have been seriously considered. If Antetokounmpo requests a trade at some point, it remains to be seen if the Heat would ever change its mind about offering Adebayo.”
Jackson also noted that Antetokounmpo shares the same agent — Octagon managing director Alex Saratsis — as Adebayo, making it unlikely the two players would want to be separated. “It’s unlikely that the Bucks star would want to join a Heat team without Adebayo,” Jackson added. “So it’s all likely moot.”
Knicks Were Giannis’ Preferred Destination
If Miami hoped to leapfrog into contention for Antetokounmpo, they may already be behind. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Bucks and New York Knicks engaged in exploratory trade talks over the summer after Antetokounmpo identified New York as his preferred destination outside Milwaukee.
“Ever since the NBA Draft Combine in mid-May, Alex Saratsis — Antetokounmpo’s U.S.-based representative — has fielded rampant interest and conducted serious due diligence on the best possible outside fits,” Charania wrote. “Several teams were discussed internally, but one emerged as the only place Antetokounmpo wanted to play outside of Milwaukee: the New York Knicks.”
Those conversations, however, never developed beyond the preliminary phase. “The Bucks insisted to the Knicks that they preferred not to move Antetokounmpo,” Charania reported. “Milwaukee believes New York did not make a strong enough offer to continue even discussing a trade.”
Knicks Window Closes — Hope for Miami?
Charania later revealed on ESPN’s NBA Today that the Knicks’ exclusive negotiating window has closed, leaving the door open for other contenders.
“That window is obviously shut,” Charania said. “We’re not in August anymore — we’re now in October. If things reopen during the season with this whole Giannis Antetokounmpo element, that window is no longer exclusive to the Knicks. Other NBA teams will enter the picture. I expect it to go beyond just New York.”
That development could reignite Miami’s interest, though the Heat would still face steep odds in any bidding war that might include the Warriors, Rockets, and Spurs — all teams with deeper draft and young-talent reserves.
Lessons From the Durant Miss
The Heat’s reported willingness to include Ware marks a sharp pivot from their stance during June’s Kevin Durant sweepstakes. Charania reported at the time that the Suns engaged both Houston and Miami in trade discussions but found each team reluctant to part with its top young prospects.
“The Suns’ trade conversations focused on the Rockets and Heat in recent days, Charania wrote in June, “but both teams showed an unwillingness to part with young cornerstones such as Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard (Houston) and Kel’el Ware (Miami) in a Durant deal, sources said. The Heat made multiple offers for Durant but ultimately turned down the opportunity to place Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 pick and other draft assets.”
After missing out on Durant, Miami appears determined not to repeat the same mistake if Antetokounmpo eventually becomes available. Still, without Adebayo in any package — and given Giannis’ past preference for New York — the Heat’s chances remain slim.
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