Not even adding a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and the fourth-greatest 3-point shooter of all time has eased the trade chatter around the Miami Heat.
The Heat has, hands down, had arguably the best offseason of any team in the NBA. (We see you, Philly.) After being stuck in mediocrity the last few seasons, the Heat suddenly has sights set on competing for a championship. But most believe the team is still one major move away from entering that conversation.
Insert the trade rumors surrounding Kyrie Irving and even Jrue Holiday, a former Giannis Antetokounmpo teammate. With the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers expected to begin maximizing their youth, Irving and Holiday could be expendable soon. The Heat has especially been linked to Irving through speculation.
Miami Heat Should Prioritize Nine-Time All-Star Around Trade Deadline
All reports out of Dallas firmly state that the Mavs have no intentions of moving Irving … right now. Yes, that could absolutely change in a matter of months. For that reason, Heat reporter Amir Motameni advises Miami to pursue Irving if he becomes available in a trade.
“There’s a lot to like about what Miami has built around Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo,” Motameni wrote. “… All of that is great, but my question is: what happens in the fourth quarter of a playoff game when the first action doesn’t work, the defense takes away Giannis’ initial drive, and Miami suddenly has eight seconds left on the shot clock? Who gets the ball and who will bail out the Heat? This is where Irving could change everything for Miami.”
Especially if Irving returns to form, there is plenty to like about his potential fit alongside Antetokounmpo. After all, history has often shown what an elite shot-creating guard and a devastating slasher can do together. Heck, just look at what a younger Irving pulled off playing alongside LeBron James.
“This is probably what excites me most about the potential fit. Giannis will obviously make Miami’s offense better just by being on the floor, but I don’t want to see him create everything himself for 82 games and then do the same thing throughout the playoffs. Put Irving next to him, and suddenly the defense has a completely different problem.”
Irving Could Become Hot Target Soon
If the Mavs decide to make a change ahead of the trade deadline in February, Irving is among the veterans who could be out the door. While it is totally fair to question whether the Heat would have enough to entice the Mavs to trade Irving, Miami should at least make an effort to land the three-time All-NBA guard.
“Teams across the league are intrigued by how, or if, the 34-year-old Irving fits in the Mavericks’ long-term plans as the franchise prioritizes building around its teenage prodigy,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported recently. “A healthy Irving, who has averaged 25.5 points and 5.1 assists per game in a Mavs uniform, could be a prime target for contenders before the trade deadline if new Dallas president Masai Ujiri is willing to engage in those discussions.”
As for another splashy offseason trade, Heat insider Barry Jackson says to pump the breaks. “But that could change at February’s trade deadline,” Jackson notes. And it could also “change next summer, if a former All-Star past his prime decides to sign with the Heat for the full nontaxpayer midlevel exception.”
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