Heat could trade for Kawhi Leonard if Giannis Antetokounmpo deal with Bucks falls through

The Miami Heat may not trade for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo after all.

Giannis landing in Miami seemed inevitable just a few days ago, but with the news that the Boston Celtics are now willing to include All-Star forward Jaylen Brown in trade discussions for Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks could end up taking Boston's offer for Antetokounmpo instead.

Additionally, the Heat don't want to gut their roster and lose most of their depth just to acquire Antetokounmpo, so president Pat Riley could be ready to pivot elsewhere and trade for another star player who has two NBA Finals MVPs under his belt.

Heat will pivot to Kawhi Leonard trade if Giannis pursuit fails

According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Heat are ready to begin their pursuit of Los Angeles Clippers superstar forward Kawhi Leonard if they are unable to land Antetokounmpo.

Miami is hoping to know whether Antetokounmpo is still an option by Monday night so they can put their Leonard backup plan into action.

"Should the Heat miss out on Giannis, and he is instead traded to the Celtics, then Miami would immediately pivot to trying to trade for Kawhi Leonard, as reported on ClutchPoints in April. Along with their Tyler Herro-Kel'el Ware trade package being offered to the Bucks, the Heat also have the 13th pick in this year's draft, which would potentially give Los Angeles another lottery pick," Siegel wrote. "Sources say the Heat want a decision on their Giannis pursuit before the end of Monday night, so they know whether they need to pivot hard before the draft to Leonard."

Injuries have always been an issue for Leonard, but when on the court, the 34-year-old is one of the best two-way players in the sport.

In 65 games this past season, Leonard averaged 27.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game with efficient shooting numbers. The seven-time All-Star would be an ideal trade target for the Heat if Antetokounmpo is off the table, as it would cost less to land Leonard, and he has shown he can still carry a team as the No. 1 option.

As for the Clippers, a rebuild could be on the way. The failed duo of Leonard and Paul George has set the franchise back at least a few years, and in a stacked Western Conference, it's hard to see an avenue Los Angeles could take to be a championship contender.

Trading Leonard to Miami would give the future Hall of Famer one last chance to compete for a title and finally give the Heat the next superstar they have been looking for.