NBA exec: Heat could become favorite to land Giannis if they beat Bucks in playoffs

The Miami Heat look like a formidable foe for the Milwaukee Bucks after beating the top-seeded Eastern Conference team in Game 1 thanks to a 40-point performance from Jimmy Butler. 

If Miami is able to knock out the Bucks, could they make themselves a more desirable destination for Giannis? Yes, at least according to one front-office executive who anonymously told the Athletic's Sam Amick that a loss to the Heat would put them high on the list of possible free-agent destinations for Giannis.

Giannis is set to become a free agent after next season. and rumors are already heating up about the superstar possibly leaving Milwaukee if the team is not able to experience some real playoff success despite having one of the best players in the NBA. Along with Miami, the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks have both been consistently linked to the soon-to-be two-time MVP.

Of course, this is all wildly speculative at this point, as the Bucks lost the first game in their series against the Magic before storming back to win four straight to send Orlando home (or at least outside of the Bubble, which is in Orlando). And even if the Bucks do not win, there's no real way of knowing if that will affect Giannis' long-term plans with the team. 

But then again, in this player empowerment era, many of the game's biggest stars left their original teams to join franchises they felt were more equipped to compete for championships. Heck, Giannis wouldn't even be the first MVP to head to the Heat, as LeBron teamed up with D-Wade and Chris Bosh to win two titles in four seasons together.