The Miami Heat shocked the world by making it to the NBA Finals this year. While the Heat looked solid on paper after Jimmy Butler signed in Free Agency, nobody expected them to be the best Eastern Conference team in the Playoffs. They smacked the Milwaukee Bucks in 5 games and made quick work of Boston in 6 games. While outmatched against the Goliath Lakers, the Heat have a solid base to build on next year.
For the Heat to not accept simply making the Finals and losing, they must make a move to create a Superteam by adding another star to join Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. By looking towards the trade market and even the 2021 Free Agency, here are the 5 players Miami Heat can add to create a powerful Superteam in the East.
5. Russell Westbrook
Trade Package: Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro for Russell Westbrook
For the Heat, they have no reason to move on from their young core of Nunn, Robinson, and Herro. They played very well all season long and have the potential to be legitimate stars in the league. Tyler Herro, a shot-making extraordinaire who doesn’t fear the moment, is especially considered in high regard by Miami. But make no mistake, Russell Westbrook brings the exact energy that Miami likes.
Westbrook had a “down year” despite averaging 27.2 PPG and 7.0 APG with the Rockets this season. He was very inconsistent in the playoffs due to injury, and many blame Houston’s collapse on Russ. Putting that aside, Russell Westbrook alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo creates the best Big Three in the NBA and it isn’t close. Russ pushes the pace better than any player in the league, and he has the aggressive “dog” inside of him that Miami craves. The Rockets will get quite a big return with the three-point shooting of Herro and Robinson, so they might pull the trigger on this if they want to move on from Westbrook.
4. Victor Oladipo
Acquired Via: Free Agency 2021
There have been rumors that Victor Oladipo is Miami-bound. Wherever the noise is coming from, we might have to listen. There isn’t smoke without fire, and no team has had more fire in the East than the Heat. Making the NBA Finals is very impressive, and they needed a third playmaker to match up with LeBron and the Lakers. Victor Oladipo is a very good player, on the verge of becoming a great player.
He has always been excellent defensively, but he has improved his passing and scoring game tremendously. While he pretty much missed almost the past two seasons due to injury, he had a breakout season two years ago by posting 23.1 PPG and 4.3 APG. Oladipo can fit seamlessly into the lineup with Butler and Adebayo because he can play on or off the ball. Oladipo gives Miami another primary scorer alongside Jimmy Butler which makes the latter even more dangerous. This is a move that Miami can certainly make in the summer of 2021.
3. Joel Embiid
Trade Package: Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, Andre Iguodala for Joel Embiid
The Miami Heat had Bam Adebayo, which means they should not be too interested in adding another center. But Joel Embiid isn’t any ordinary center. In fact, he is a franchise player and one of the most versatile bigs in the game. And so is Bam.
Bam and Embiid will get along like a house on fire because they can both space the floor well and have excellent passing skills. Both players can handle the ball well and can impact the game on both ends. The Heat don’t have to follow the league-wide emphasis on small ball and can employ a powerful defensive unit with the two bigs down low and Butler and Crowder on the wing. If Miami wants to stifle opposing offenses and play in the half-court, this deal would be incredible.
2. Bradley Beal
Trade Package: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn, Andre Iguodala for Bradley Beal
Bradley Beal is an All-Star and would be the second-best option for the Miami Heat to create a dominant Superteam in the East. Butler and Adebayo are known as defensive specialists, although both of them can put up big scoring numbers. Butler averaged 19.9 PPG while Bam put up 15.9 PPG this past season, showcasing their ability to get buckets when needed. But neither of them is Bradley Beal on offense.
Beal is coming off a career year where he averaged 30.5 PPG on 45.5% shooting this year. Beal would make the Heat unstoppable on offense, mainly because he was arguably the second-best scorer in the league behind James Harden. Beal can get any shot he wants because he is a marksman from deep and has improved his dribbling and shot-making. If the Heat sacrifice a large part of their core, they can make this deal happen.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Acquired Via: Free Agency 2021
Without a doubt, Giannis Antetokounmpo alongside Butler and Adebayo would create the most formidable NBA team since the Golden State Warriors with Kevin Durant. This team would make the NBA Finals in the East and most likely capture at least one NBA title. Jimmy and Bam came close on their own, so adding the league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year to the squad greatly boosts their offense and defense.
Even the best offensive teams would struggle to score on the Heat because they can fill out the roster with even more defenders while keeping the likes of Herro and Robinson. Miami’s Big Three of Giannis, Butler, and Adebayo would rival the LeBron James-Heatles Big Three as the greatest team in Miami Heat history without a doubt. They would need to win 2 NBA titles to do this, and they probably would.
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