Giannis' Affinity for 'Florida Cities' Should Have Miami Heat Dreaming Up Trades

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo interacted with his X (formerly Twitter) followers by holding an impromptu Q & A session in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Responding to the question of “what city made you happiest to be there,” the two-time MVP responded “Florida cities.”

Fans of both the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic proceeded to turn the tweet into a recruiting session, and it’s worth knowing that this was all going on just shy of 3 AM local time in the Sunshine State. Antetokounmpo also shared thoughts on Barcelona teenage soccer star Lamine Yamal, confirmed Eddie Guerrero is his favorite wrestler and feta is his top cheese.

For the purposes of his immediate future, his comment regarding “Florida cities” was the most newsworthy development of the session, which also featured Antetokounmpo saying New York is his favorite city to play in on the road. While that should rightfully excite Knicks and Nets fans, his stated affection for playing in Madison Square Garden is nothing new. 

That Florida cities have made him happiest to be there when both the Heat and Magic entered their offseason looking to potentially make significant moves after disappointing endings to their seasons is telling. 

Antetokounmpo balanced the menu with answers like who he favors in MLB and NFL, his favorite color and what his first jersey was, but knew that making opinions a matter of public record would move the needle in the NBA news cycle. The “Greek Freak” used the “crying/laughing” emoji and “100” symbol when a user stated that “having a random Q&A while rumors are going on is peak Giannis behavior.”

According to league insider Chris Haynes, Antetokounmpo will meet with the Bucks sometime in the middle of the coming week to discuss his future. With star guard Damian Lillard, who was mentioned with Stephen Curry as his best shooters of all-time, set to miss most if not all of the 2025-26 season after tearing his Achilles in the playoffs, Milwaukee is likely to take a step back next season. Antetokounmpo has always prided himself on loyalty and has stated emphatically he’d never request a trade, but it’s possible the Bucks are also willing to turn the page.

If it comes to pass that Antetokounmpo is available, every team would explore what it would take to get him to their city. If he has a preference, the Bucks are likely to reward his loyalty by sending him where he wants to go as long as their trade partner isn’t stingy with assets worthy of securing the services of the 30-year-old nine-time All-Star.

The Heat have a decision to make on what commitment it wants to make to Tyler Herro, a Milwaukee native who was a first-time All-Star this past season and is due another extension. Pat Riley will likely explore moving anyone on the roster if it means acquiring Antetokounmpo. 

Antetokounmpo’s “Florida cities” comment may have been the biggest clue yet that if he’s ready to leave Milwaukee, moving to a state with no income tax, tropical weather and two well-run teams committed to building a winner intrigues him most.

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Tony Mejia is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. If you want to rope him into a Giannis-like Q&A, follow him on X at @mejiadinero. He can be reached at tnyce1414@gmail.com