Getty Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball against Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat.
The Miami Heat have always been a team with the ability to attract free agents. The appeal of South Beach has proven to be a draw for players like Ray Allen, Chris Bosh, Jimmy Butler, and LeBron James, allowing the Heat to consistently put together a competitive team.
On a recent episode of the Lowe Post Podcast Bill Simmons teased Luka Doncic as the next to star to wind up in Miami.
“Five years from now what team is Luka on?” Simmons asked. “I think it’s going to be really hard for Dallas to put a good enough team around him. I think they’re on the clock. How many years will he be happy? If he did switch teams for some reason I feel like it’s Miami.”
In five years “If Luka Doncic did switch teams…for some reason I feel like it’s Miami” – @BillSimmons on The Lowe Post
Simmons has a point. Doncic has been breathing life into an otherwise lifeless Dallas Mavericks team. He’s appeared in 39 of the team’s 43 games this season. The 23-year-old averages 34.3 points, 9 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game on 50.1% shooting from the floor and 35.6% shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
The Slovenian is a sure-fire candidate to win the league’s Most Valuable Player award this year. Despite all of the tremendous work he’s done so far, if the season ended today (January 14) Dallas wouldn’t even have home-court advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs. As Simmons pointed out, the lack of help could be something that drives Doncic out of town.
Looking down the road, it’s possible to see why Miami would be a potential suitor for him. The Heat have both Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro locked up for the near-future. The pairing would be able to serve as a great supporting cast for Doncic if he took his talents to South Beach. They mirror the skillsets of Jalen Brunson and Christian Wood, who have probably been the best teammates the Mavericks star has had since entering the league.
Heat Interested in Zach LaVine
As far as acquisitions that could happen closer to the present go, Zach LaVine has been listed as Heat target. During the January 11 edition of the HoopsHype Podcast, host Michael Scotto teased that Miami was keeping an eye on the Chicago Bulls star.
“If he were to be put on the market, the (New York) Knicks, (Los Angeles) Lakers, Dallas (Mavericks), and Miami are certainly monitoring if he’ll become available or not,” Scotto explained to KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
LaVine is averaging 23.8 points 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for Chicago this season. Across 38 games for the Bulls, he’s shot 47% from the field and 39.9% from beyond the arc.
Miami Listed as Landing Spot for Mo Bamba
Another player that could wind up playing for the Heat within the next month is Mo Bamba of the Orlando Magic. In a recent article, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz listed Bamba as a talent that Miami could look to add ahead of the February 9 NBA Trade Deadline.
“The Heat should think big at first, looking for power forwards who can stretch the floor alongside Bam Adebayo and give this 24th-ranked offense a little more juice,” Swartz wrote.
The former No. 5 overall pick signed a new two-year $20.6 million contract to stay in Orlando over the summer. He has appeared in 33 of the team’s 42 games and is playing 18.3 minutes. He’s averaging 7.7 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 49.2% shooting from the floor and 37% shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
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Luka Doncic Blockbuster Move to Heat in the Cards, Says Insider