Getty Brooklyn Nets stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant look on during a playoff game against the Boston Celtics.
Potential trades for Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell are still floating around the ether but, barring something unexpected, it looks as though the Miami Heat may find themselves boxed out of the action in both cases. As it stands, Pat Riley likely lacks the assets to get something done.
That may end up being the logline for the offseason, too. Despite the Godfather’s lengthy history of landing stars, not to mention the prevailing thought that standing pat wasn’t an option for the club, Miami is treading shockingly close to simply running it back (sans PJ Tucker) next season.
Of course, making blockbuster trades is hard to do — and it takes two (or more) to tango — so the South Beach faithful may just have to temper some expectations.
Having said that, Bleacher Report‘s Greg Swartz does see one potential star-grabbing trade out there for the Heat. It’s one that comes with a level of risk, however.
B/R: Miami Could Make a Play for Kyrie
On Thursday, Swartz added a modicum of fuel to the fires of summer trade chatter by dropping his list of five risky deals “that actually work.” And while this isn’t the Nets trade that Heat fans have been eyeing, it is one that Riley has the wherewithal to pull off.
Swartz’s pitch:
- Miami Heat receive PG Kyrie Irving and PF Day’Ron Sharpe
- Brooklyn Nets receive PG Kyle Lowry, G/F Duncan Robinson and G/F Max Strus
“Irving and Jimmy Butler became close at the 2016 Summer Olympics, with Butler later declaring on national TV that Irving was his favorite player and the one he would most want to team up with,” reminded Swartz, who further noted how much of an upgrade it would be for the Heat.
“From a pure talent standpoint, swapping Lowry for Irving is a huge win for Miami, a team that finished 12th overall in offense last season (113.0 rating) despite being an elite defensive unit. Irving may be at his best this season, knowing he’s going into unrestricted free agency as well.”
Make no mistake, Irving remains one of the five or so best scorers in the Association. Last season, the 30-year-old averaged 27.4 points, 5.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 46.9% from the floor and 41.8% from deep. Also: Sharpe makes a ton of sense after Tucker’s departure.
Nevertheless, there are a couple of things preventing this trade from being a home run.
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Multiple Risk Levels
There’s no denying all the things that Kyrie brings to the court. However, there’s a thought that the same could be said for what he brings to an organization and in the locker room, too (and not in a good way).
The carnage left in his wake after his ill-fated Beantown run has become the stuff of legend. And his willingness to miss half of last season over his anti-vax stance played a huge part in getting the Nets to where they are now.
One has to wonder if such things would fly within #HeatCulture.
Irving’s contract situation is something to consider as well. Earlier this summer, the baller opted into the final year of his deal, which will pay him $36.5 million in 2022-23. After that, though, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent, and he’s bolted from seemingly good situations before.
On the other hand, getting off of Robinson and Lowry’s deals would probably be a good thing for the Heat, even if Kyries did leave after one year.
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