The Miami Heat want to maximize their current contention window after an unlikely run to the NBA Finals proved that a Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo duo can succeed at the highest level. This has plunged Miami into a pretty extensive search on the market for star-level players.
The team made an offer for Bradley Beal before prioritizing their assets for a possible Damian Lillard trade request, something the franchise is still waiting on. Heat insider Barry Jackson has said that the team will be patient and wait for Lillard’s decision.
As Riley said, Heat will be patient. At this point, patient is waiting on Lillard decision, figuring that will come sooner than later. https://t.co/lnZIGURYbW
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) June 21, 2023
After a fan criticized the strategy, Jackson also revealed that Pat Riley personally is completely okay with not adding the superstar piece the team is clearly trying to find in the market.
Riley said they would be fine with that if they cannot find piece they want
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) June 21, 2023
Even though Tyler Herro wasn’t available for their playoff run, he is still a valuable player that Miami would be willing to run it back with. No contending team in the NBA would pass up on getting a player of Lillard’s caliber for Herro, but the Heat doesn’t need to shop Herro for the sake of an upgrade and settle for something lesser.
Damian Lillard Or Bust For The Miami Heat
At this point, it doesn’t look like the Heat will be willing to settle for anything less than Lillard when it comes to trading away their players. Otherwise, why mess with a formula that got them to the NBA Finals?
Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists last season and made All-NBA by being unbelievably potent offensively. The Heat have a defensive system that could allow Lillard to succeed, making this a very obvious on-court fit.
The Heat usually finds ways to get what they want, but the ball is completely in Portland’s corner right now. We will know if they used the No. 3 pick for a player by this time tomorrow, as drafting someone likely spells the end of Dame’s time in Portland. If the Blazers trade the pick away for a star, Lillard will likely not agitate for a trade and will stay on with the franchise for another season.
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