Heat could steal a star thanks to possible Spurs' backcourt conundrum

When De'Aaron Fox requested a trade from the Sacramento Kings at this past year's NBA Trade Deadline, he seemed like the perfect target for the Miami Heat. Fox has a good relationship with Bam Adebayo and theoretically fits the team's biggest need at the point guard position. Ultimately, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. However, the Fox-to-Miami dream may not be completely dead.

As Kevin O'Connor speculates in a recent article about why all eyes are on the San Antonio Spurs heading into the NBA Draft, there could be a scenario where they pivot away from a Fox-Victor Wembanyama duo, especially considering they're likely going to take another high-profile guard with the No. 2 overall pick. Don't forget, the Spurs already have rising star Stephon Castle on the roster, too.

The Spurs' backcourt dynamic could quickly turn into one of the most crowded situations in the league. And if the Fox-Harper-Castle dynamic in the backcourt isn't working or gelling this season, San Antonio could theoretically reset their clock and decide to go the younger route alongside Harper, Castle, and Wemby.

To be quite honest, if the Spurs decided to go down that route, especially rather than giving Fox a huge extension, it would be difficult to blame them. Fox should be a good fit for the Spurs, but if it's not working, San Antonio is not in a position where they couldn't hit the eject button.

At that point, a team like the Heat could look to take advantage.

De'Aaron Fox could be the perfect fit for the Heat

In the past few months, not much has changed for the Heat. They still need a point guard. They still desire a star player. And Fox would be a perfect fit. It's hard to imagine how a Herro-Bam duo moves the needle in the Eastern Conference, even with how much it will as a whole take somewhat of a step back.

However, a trio of Fox, Herro, and Bam could be one of the most underrated cores in the league, and certainly in the Eastern Conference. There's a ton that would have to take place before this would be even a possibility, but it's clearly a situation that deserves monitoring.

If the rest of the league is keeping a close eye on the Spurs, so should the Heat. I'm not sure how realistic it is to expect the Spurs to hit the eject button quickly on a foundation they've put together in just the last few months. But if there's any shot that the Heat could get another opportunity to pursue Fox, perhaps this time with a fair shot of having true trade discussions, I'd find it hard to believe that they wouldn't take it seriously.

Envisioning how the Heat is going to land their next star is difficult. If there's one thing that we've learned about this franchise, it's that they do some of their best work when their backs are against the wall and when there's a star player (sometimes disgruntled) that hits the trade market in a surprising manner.

If that were to happen to Fox (again), you can bet that the Heat would be involved. And unlike a few months ago, the Heat has real assets that they could offer via trade. A Fox trade should not be expected unless something bad happens in San Antonio. But if that perfect storm (for Miami) does hit San Antonio, the Heat will be waiting in the balance.

And maybe this time, Miami will finally be successful in prying a star away from a disgruntled or complicat situation.