Getty Miami Heat president Pat Riley addresses the crowd during Chris Bosh's 2019 jersey retirement ceremony.
Heading into their last-chance play-in bout with the Chicago Bulls, the Miami Heat bear the look of a team in dire need of a makeover. Sure, Jimmy Butler is a borderline superstar, Bam Adebayo is coming into his own as a focal point on both sides of the court and Tyler Herro is one of the better young players in the Association but, beyond that, Miami is running at a talent deficit.
Team president Pat Riley attempted to bring another elite-level baller into the fold last summer, when Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell’s names were floating around. But he was ultimately unable to make the kind of offers necessary to facilitate a blockbuster trade.
According to one Heat insider, though, Riley will take another stab at making a big-time acquisition this summer.
“Heat will renew efforts to land a star this offseason,” reported the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. “Only question is who (if anyone) would be big enough to make them consider dealing Butler or Bam. (Not talking about Lillard specifically). That’s the biggest question of [the] offseason, one they’ll need to seriously discuss.”
Damian Lillard & Bradley Beal Headline Potential Heat Trade Targets
Damian Lillard kinda looks cold in a Miami Heat uniform 👀🥶
As ever, a number of bona fide stars have seen their names bandied about in trade chatter around the hoops blogosphere recently. And there’s reason to believe that Miami could explore its options with many of them.
The current headliner is Damian Lillard who, after another disappointing campaign with the Portland Trail Blazers, just told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that the time may be coming when he or his team have to make a difficult decision.
For his part, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes the Heat would be a team to watch in that scenario.
There are similar things going on in the District of Columbia where a now 29-year-old Bradley Beal has only appeared in five playoff games in the last five years. In February, the Washington Wizards star told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears, “I’m patient, but there comes a time where you have to be a little selfish and draw a line in the sand, for sure.”
If that line is drawn in weeks/months to come, the Heat have been linked to Beal previously.
Bulls Duo, Pascal Siakam & Karl-Anthony Towns Could Also Be Targeted by Heat
Elsewhere, the Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley reported that the Bulls talked briefly with the New York Knicks about a Zach LaVine deal in the hours before the NBA trade deadline hit. He could get shopped again if VP Arturas Karnisovas decides to blow it up. And LaVine’s multi-level scoring ability definitely has the potential to unlock Miami’s offense.
Or perhaps LaVine’s contract is honored and the club instead shops DeMar DeRozan, who’s older (33) and a less-than-ideal fit next to LaVine. The six-time All-Star’s mid-range dependence might be an awkward fit next to Butler, too, but he does match the Heat star’s timeline and he’s also a player who, when the pressure is on, can go and get a bucket in the halfcourt.
Other talents who could find themselves on the block include Raptors All-Star Pascal Siakam, whom The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported as being mentioned in trade talks and Minnesota Timberwolves cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns — arguably the least-likely mover of the lot, but a player who could mesh well with Adebayo.