The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade situation has a new player. According to veteran NBA insider Marc Stein, the Detroit Pistons have emerged as a potential third team in what has been a stalled Heat-Bucks negotiation, a development that could unlock a blockbuster deal before the June 23 draft deadline.
The framework circulating: Detroit would absorb Tyler Herro from Miami. The Heat, cleared of Herro’s contract and his looming extension, could then send a more streamlined package to Milwaukee in exchange for Antetokounmpo. The Bucks would receive a combination of youth and picks from both teams.
What Detroit would give up for Herro (20.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.1 APG, 48.0% FG, 38.0% from three last season) remains fluid. Names that have surfaced include Caris LeVert, Ron Holland, and Isaiah Stewart, plus a first-round pick, per Stein’s reporting.
Why Detroit fits
The Pistons went 60-22 this past season, built around Cade Cunningham. Adding Herro addresses a real need: a knockdown shooter who can run off-ball sets and handle pick-and-roll as a secondary creator. A deal for Herro would not require Detroit to move any core piece, and he can sign an extension that keeps him in their window. Portland had been the assumed third-team facilitator for weeks. Detroit changes that picture.
Heat stuck between floors and ceilings
Milwaukee remains the demanding party. Co-owner Jimmy Haslam set the draft as his self-imposed deadline to resolve the Antetokounmpo situation. The Heat have been reluctant to go further: Bam Adebayo stays, and the front office doesn’t want to strip the roster bare. Herro, whom Milwaukee didn’t want in a direct deal anyway, leaving the package makes Miami’s offer structurally cleaner for the Bucks.
Giannis wants Miami, per multiple reports. He’s also said he doesn’t control how this ends. The draft opens in Brooklyn on Tuesday. The window is tight, and the Pistons just made the math more interesting.
Sources: NBC Sports (Marc Stein), Bleacher Report, Basketnews
[Update – June 22, 2026] Negotiations have entered the final stretch. Per Evan Sidery, talks are now in the “red zone” with less than 24 hours before the draft. A four-team framework has emerged: the Heat would receive Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, and Dalton Knecht; the Pistons would land Tyler Herro and Jake LaRavia; the Lakers would get Myles Turner and Andre Jackson Jr. Sources: Yahoo Sports, Bleacher Report.
