The Jaren Jackson Jr. blockbuster trade might be a brutal gut punch to the Miami Heat’s chances of landing Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
The Utah Jazz will send three first-round picks, Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, and Georges Niang to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Jackson Jr., Jock Landale, and Vince Williams Jr.
It’s a move that will have plenty of repercussions for both the Jazz and Grizzlies, but it could also play a huge role in setting the market for the rest of the league heading into the trade deadline. Including for Giannis.
For the Heat, this could mean that Giannis won’t be traded before the deadline. Why? Well, it’s simple. Now that Jackson Jr. went for three first-round picks and pieces, there’s no way that Giannis can go for a similar price on paper.
Right now, it’s hard to envision how the Heat are going to get to four first-round picks, or more, in order to get a Giannis deal done that reflects a fair market price.
In other words, the Jazz (and Danny Ainge) just made the Heat’s life much more difficult heading into the trade deadline. And, perhaps most importantly, it may have just closed a real window of opportunity for Giannis.
Danny Ainge continues to haunt the Heat
Ainge is no stranger to Heat fans. Dating back to his time with the Boston Celtics, Ainge has always been viewed as somewhat of a foe to the Heat organization.
Most will remember this rivalry hitting its peak when Pat Riley told Ainge, “shut up,” and worry about his team. That was at the height of the Heat-Celtics rivalry back in the days of the Big 3.
Things are slightly different now that Ainge is in Utah, but I’m sure most Heat fans will remember the past battles between the two sides.
This is not to say that Ainge is calling the shots in Utah, but there’s no question he still has an influence on decisions as the chief executive officer of the franchise.
And if this is a move that ends up costing the Heat a real shot at Giannis, you can almost bet that Ainge will probably have a good chuckle. I can’t imagine that was the intention, but I’m sure Ainge will love getting one more jab at Riley and the Heat organization.
Time will tell if the Heat’s chances at Giannis did take a huge hit with this blockbuster move, but it’s certainly something that can’t help much. The Heat aren’t just working against the deadline, but now may also be working against an altering market value.
