Ira Winderman: Hmm, Heat scouting path now turns to Greece (but no, not for Giannis)

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun Sentinel on May 22, 2026

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MIAMI — No, Adam Simon responded with a laugh, nothing sinister at play as the Miami Heat’s assistant general manager prepared for his Thursday overnight flight to Athens, Greece, after completing pre-draft scouting work at the Chicago combine.

Yes, off to Greece, as in the offseason home of NBA rumor of the moment Giannis Antetokounmpo.

But for Simon, just a scouting trip of international importance, with the opportunity to scout both the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague (ANGT) Finals under-18 event as well as the EuroLeague Final Four.

Considering the international impact on the Heat roster in recent seasons, particularly this past season, it is a journey more than understandable. When the Heat opened this past season with six foreign-born players, it set a franchise record: Simone Fontecchio (Italy), Vlad Goldin (Russia), Kasparas Jakučionis (Lithuania), Nikola Jović (Serbia), Pelle Larsson (Sweden) and Andrew Wiggins (Canada).

“Look,” Simon said, “the world of basketball is smaller than ever. There’s players coming from all parts of the globe, and especially now guys even doing their development in the United States, in college. I try not to look at necessarily what country they’re from.”

Of those six internationals who began and ended last season on the Heat roster, all but Fontecchio and Jovic played collegiately in the NCAA.

This year, with the Heat slotted at No. 13 in the draft, there could be an opportunity to add even more foreign intrigue. Among those expected to fall into the Heat’s range in that slot are Mexican forward Karim Lopez, German big man Hannes Steinbach, Spanish big man Aday Mara and Estonian big man Henri Veesaar.

So while the Heat also have fared well in drafting the domestic product in recent years — including with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel’el Ware — Simon said the timing was right to go international before the draft interview and workout process moves into a higher gear.

“The ANGT event is really a top junior event. It’s seven of the best European clubs, and a junior U.S. team. And there are players to look at in the (EuroLeague) Final Four teams, some are free agents, some are draft prospects.”

Among familiar names on those EuroLeague semifinalist rosters are Heat 2025 summer prospect Neal Sako with Valencia Basket, former Heat prospects Chris Silva and Khem Birch with Fenerbahçe S.K. and former Heat center Omer Yurtseven (ineligible for this competition) with Real Madrid Baloncesto.

“I used to go every year, but they moved dates of the (Chicago) combine, they had conflicting dates and so couldn’t do both,” Simon said of getting back for Europe’s Final Four. “This year, once I saw the schedule, I was able to go do it.

“So it’s just an opportunity to connect with European GMs, European agents, seeing people that I’ve met along the way over all these years and reconnecting with them. It’s the same reason why I go to the college Final Four.”

So, yes, the Heat in Greece, But, no, no trip planned to Paleo Psychiko, the Athens site of Antetokounmpo’s multilevel penthouse, with the Milwaukee Bucks star forward at the center of offseason NBA trade conjecture that features the Heat.

Just a scout from a team in an international city scouting the type of international talent that increasingly has been stocking the Heat’s roster.

(Still, just three weeks ago, Antetokounmpo did attend the EuroLeague playoffs in Athens, so there also is that.)

Jakucionis plans

Speaking of Heat international talent, Jakucionis has been called up to the Lithuanian national team for July’s window of European World Cup qualifying. It is a window that comes during the early stages of the Heat’s summer-league schedule, with Lithuania to play Great Britain on July 2 and Italy on July 5.

That scheduling will have Jakucionis away from the Heat during the California Classic portion of their summer schedule in Sacramento. He is expected to rejoin the team then for the bigger Las Vegas NBA Summer League, which opens July 9.

It will be the first action with Lithuania’s senior team for the 19-year-old guard who was drafted at No. 20 out of Illinois last June. He previously represented Lithuania at the FIBA U18 European Championship.

Jakucionis did not make either of the two NBA All-Rookie teams announced Wednesday night, receiving one second-team vote from the 100-member media panel.

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