Heat Star Ruled Out as Potential Trade Target for Lakers

After crashing out of the playoffs via a 4-0 sweep, the Miami Heat have some tough decisions to make. Pat Riley must decide whether to re-tool the roster or begin a rebuild.

As things stand, it’s unlikely that Miami is taking any player out of trade discussions. Therefore, Bam Adebayo could potentially be available for the right price.

During a recent episode of the “Buha’s Block” podcast with The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Los Angeles Lakers insider ruled out Adebayo as a potential trade target.

Buha believes that Adebayo would be tough to pry from the Heat. Buha also noted how the big man’s inability to be a lob threat could make him a sub-optimal fit next to Luka Doncic.

“I think he’d be good next to Luka because they’re both All-Star, All-NBA guys, and they’re both smart and they can make it work,” Buha said. “I think Bam is not enough of a lob threat for what the Lakers would want. Defensively, he’d be great because he’s a great defender, but I don’t know if they could get him… From a trade perspective, I don’t really see LA having enough to offer Miami.”

Adebayo is one of the leaders in the Heat’s locker room. It would likely take a sizeable offer for Miami to part with him. However, Miami’s lack of tradeable assets could force them into some uncomfortable negotations.

Buha Threw Out a Trade Proposal

During the same podcast episode, Buha shared his idea for what an Adebayo trade between the Heat and Lakers could look like. The proposal looks like this:

Lakers Get: Bam Adebayo

Heat Get: Austin Reaves, Dalton Knecht, a 2030 pick swap and a 2031 unprotected first-round pick.

“I don’t think Miami is doing that,” Buha said after floating the trade package.

If the Heat did opt to make Adebayo available via trade, they would likely get far better packages from other teams. Miami has no reason to sit down and negotiate with the Lakers outside of sending Adebayo to the Western Conference.

Nevertheless, being swept in the first round of the playoffs has likely caused a new sense of urgency in the front office. So, there is always a slim chance Adebayo could be moved for a package built around Reaves and Knecth.

Heat Should Consider a Full Rebuild

According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who was speaking on an April 30 episode of ESPN’s NBA today, Miami should seriously consider entering a rebuilding phase.

“It’s very hard threading the needle,” Marks said. “They’ve been a Play-In team the last couple of years. Would they ever consider taking a step back, potentially taking the Oklahoma City approach? Maybe you get a core player back and draft picks and going in that direction…They are going to be where they are a year from now, if there are no changes here. It may have to be taking a step back instead of going star-chasing.”

While rebuilding is far from glamorous, it is often a necessary part of a team’s life cycle. It’s clear that Miami needs to restock on assets and begin developing young and sustainable talent. And while that would mean being among the worst teams in the NBA for a few years, the rewards could be significant.

Miami has avoided a rebuild for long enough; now could be the perfect time to tear things down and start building things back from scratch.