Rumors are going to link the Miami Heat with every star name that is reportedly available on the trade market. That’s what happens when a team crumbles in the opening round of the playoffs.
Unfortunately for the Heat, they don’t have a large stockpile of tradable assets. In fact, any package they cobble together will likely be subpar compared to other offers around the NBA. It’s for that reason that Miami could be in for a frustrating summer.
According to John Hollinger of The Athletic, the Heat could be forced to face up to that reality if they get involved in a potential bidding war for Giannis Antetokounmpo, should he become available.
“The Heat will always come up as a potential destination, but Miami doesn’t have the pile of draft picks (on draft night this year, it can trade its first-round pick, 20th overall via the Warriors, plus unprotected firsts in 2030 and 2032) or alluring young players to get its foot in the door on a trade of this magnitude,” Hollinger wrote. “Instead, the Bucks should be looking to get in the lottery this June as part of any trade, kick-starting things right now.”
Pat Riley has a way of getting what he wants. Therefore, ruling out the Heat in any potential trade scenario is risky business. However, given the current state of the team’s roster, they will undoubtedly struggle when trying to outbid other teams.
A Rebuild Might be Better for Miami
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Riley and the Heat front office may be better suited to pursuing a full rebuild.
“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.”
If the Heat decides to rebuild, it would likely need to find homes for Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. Not because they aren’t good enough, but because they’re the two players who could generate significant returns in any potential deal.
Heat Unlikely to Send Adebayo to the Lakers
If the Heat does look to move on from Adebayo, they can likely rule out the Los Angeles Lakers as a potential trade partner. During a recent episode of the “Buha’s Block” podcast with The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Lakers insider shared his thoughts on why Adebayo is unlikely to be a target.
“I think he’d be good next to Luka because they’re both All-Star, All-NBA guys. 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.”
With very few trade chips and a genuinely disjointed roster, perhaps now is the time for Riley to accept a rebuild. After all, if the front office spends all summer chasing a star addition only to strike out, next season will be even tougher than the one that just ended in a sweep.
