- After watching Damian Lillard get traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Miami Heat must look for another star to acquire
- Heat President Pat Riley is under a lot of pressure to make a blockbuster trade
- There are four stars the Heat should target
Damian Lillard requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Miami Heat on July 1. NBA fans and pundits thought it was a foregone conclusion Lillard would end up with the Heat and play with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
However, the Blazers refused to engage with the Heat in Lillard trade talks and wound up trading Dame to the Milwaukee Bucks. It was such a shocking trade that Butler told the NBA to investigate the Bucks for tampering.
Butler and Adebayo are great players. But, to be completely honest, the Heat need one more star to win a championship. With that said, here are four blockbuster trades Miami can make to soften the blow of losing Lillard to the Bucks.
Miami Heat Acquire Jrue Holiday From Portland Trail Blazers
Trade Details
Miami Heat Receive: Jrue Holiday
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin, 2024 First-Round Pick, 2026 First-Round Pick, 2027 First-Round Pick
The Miami Heat are one of the teams that appeal to Jrue Holiday, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The Blazers acquired Holiday from the Bucks in the Damian Lillard trade. However, Portland is expected to trade Holiday to a contender.
Holiday played in 67 games for the Bucks last season. He averaged 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 7.4 assists while shooting 47.9% from the field, 38.4% from beyond the arc, and 85.9% from the free-throw line. The NBA champion signed a four-year, $135 million extension with Milwaukee in April 2021.
A California native, Holiday has career averages of 16.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists with the Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Bucks. He has made five All-Defensive teams and two All-Star teams.
The Heat could start Holiday, Josh Richardson, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love, and Bam Adebayo if Miami’s front office figured out a way to acquire Holiday from Portland. A Big 3 of Holiday, Butler, and Adebayo would be special since all three players are elite two-way players.
Miami Heat Trade For Chicago Bulls Shooting Guard Zach LaVine
Trade Details
Miami Heat Receive: Zach LaVine, Dalen Terry
Chicago Bulls Recieve: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jovic, 2024 First-Round Pick
The Chicago Bulls have checked the temperature on Zach LaVine’s trade market throughout the offseason, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. This is the perfect time for the Heat to acquire LaVine, who is one of the top scorers in the NBA.
The 28-year-old LaVine averaged 24.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Bulls in 2022-23 while shooting 48.5% from the floor, 37.5% from 3, and 84.8% from the foul line. He signed a five-year, $215.2 million deal with Chicago in July 2022.
LaVine has appeared in 348 games with the Bulls. He’s averaging 24.5 points with Chicago and has made two All-Star teams. Anyhow, the Bulls have won only one playoff game since acquiring LaVine from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the summer of 2017 in the blockbuster Jimmy Butler trade.
It would be fascinating to see LaVine and Butler become teammates after getting traded for each other in 2017. The Heat could start Kyle Lowry, LaVine, Butler, Kevin Love, and Bam Adebayo.
Miami Heat Pass On Zach LaVine, Land Chicago Bulls Forward DeMar DeRozan Instead
Trade Details
Miami Heat Receive: DeMar DeRozan
Chicago Bulls Recieve: Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., 2024 First-Round Pick, 2028 First-Round Pick
DeMar DeRozan averaged 24.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Bulls last season while shooting 50.4% from the field, 32.4% from beyond the arc, and 87.2% from the free-throw line. The USC product is one of the greatest scorers and mid-range shooters in NBA history.
The 34-year-old DeRozan will make $28.6 million next season. He becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024. The Bulls are unlikely to sign DeRozan to an extension this year despite the future Hall of Famer averaging 26.2 points in 150 games with Chicago while making two All-Star teams.
If the Heat get word that DeRozan is available on the trade market, they should try to acquire him even though he could be a one-year rental given he’ll enter free agency next offseason. Jimmy Butler’s relationship with DeRozan could maybe give Miami an advantage in a potential free-agency scenario. Butler and DeRozan have played in multiple All-Star games together. They were also teammates on Team USA.
DeRozan is also very close with Kyle Lowry, as the two All-Stars were teammates on the Toronto Raptors for several years. The Heat could start Lowry, DeRozan, Butler, Kevin Love, and Bam Adebayo if DeRozan landed in South Beach.
Miami Heat Go All Out For Atlanta Hawks Point Guard Trae Young
Trade Details
Miami Heat Receive: Trae Young
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, 2024 First-Round Pick, 2026 First-Round Pick, 2026 Second-Round Pick, 2027 First-Round Pick
Trae Young is one of the best point guards in the NBA. He averaged 26.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 10.2 assists last season for the Hawks while shooting 42.9% from the floor, 33.5% from beyond the arc and 88.6% from the free-throw line. Young was ninth in the NBA in total points, 10th in points per game, first in total assists, and second in assists per game.
The Heat could start Trae Young, Josh Richardson, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love, and Bam Adebayo if Pat Riley traded for Young, who has career averages of 25.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 9.3 assists.
An NBA executive doesn’t believe Young will finish out his contract with the Hawks. Young signed a five-year, $215.2 million extension with Atlanta in August 2021. If the Hawks struggle next season, the Heat should try to trade for Young, especially since the Texas native could be extra motivated in 2023-24.
Young apparently didn’t make a great case for himself the last time he was at a Team USA program, according to Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Despite being one of the best basketball players in the world, Young wasn’t selected to play on the 2023 FIBA World Cup Team. Ice Trae could be a man on a mission next season to prove his critics wrong, and since the Heat love players who play with a chip on their shoulder, Young in Miami next to Butler and Adebayo seems like a match made in heaven.
