The Miami Heat's clearest path toward acquiring a superstar player is not Giannis Antetokounmpo; it's Kawhi Leonard. While all the attention this week has surrounded the potential all-out bidding war for Giannis, it's Kawhi that presents the most likely path for the Heat to significantly upgrade their roster ahead of the 2026 NBA Trade Deadline. Is there a chance that Giannis is traded between now and the trade deadline? Sure.
ON AUG. 18, 2014, Steve Ballmer shouted, chest-bumped and high-fived his way through a frenzied crowd of 4,500 fans inside Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. Eminem's "Lose Yourself" thumped overhead. The former Microsoft CEO had just paid a then-record $2 billion for the LA Clippers, at once rescuing the team, the city of Los Angeles and the NBA from one of its darkest eras.