While the Miami Heat were negotiating trade packages for Jimmy Butler in January and early February, the Dallas Mavericks were silently moving toward a Luka Doncic trade with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dallas never made Doncic’s availability widely known around the league. If they had, they would have likely fielded trade offers from every team. In a recent article for ESPN, Bobby Marks looked at what those trade packages could have looked like. Here’s how Miami’s would have shaped up:
Mavericks Get: Bam Adebayo, Haywood Highsmith, Jaime Jaquez Jr., a 2029 unprotected first-round pick and a 2031 unprotected first-round pick.
Heat Get: Luka Doncic
“It’s important to note that on Feb. 1, Jimmy Butler is still on the roster and has not yet been dealt to Golden State,” Marks wrote. “But considering Dallas is prioritizing a big frontcourt that can compete for a championship, Adebayo is the perfect fit, not Butler. The Heat still have Tyler Herro, center Kel’el Ware and the returns from a Butler trade to build around Doncic.”
A trio of Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins and Doncic is intriguing, especially with the upside Wiggins provides as a three-and-d specialist. Nevertheless, that trio is unlikely to have been championship caliber. Nevertheless, Erik Spoelstra’s team would have the building blocks to a potential championship-caliber roster in place.
Heat’s Bam Adebayo Shouldn’t be Untouchable
Recently, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald discussed the Heat’s current roster construction with a couple of NBA scouts. Interestingly, one of the scouts noted how Adebayo should not be deemed as an untouchable star. Instead, it was suggested that Miami does its due diligence on Adebayo’s trade value.
“Bam is somewhat [inconsistent] offensively; I wouldn’t actively look to move him, but I don’t think he should be untouchable,” The scout said. “There would be a huge market for him.”
Adebayo is one of the best defensive big men in the NBA. It’s unclear whether his presence in a trade package for Doncic would have moved the needle. However, there are undoubtedly multiple teams around the NBA that would quickly build a trade package to acquire him from the Heat.
Heat Unlikely to Land Kevin Durant
While no team other than the Lakers was given an opportunity to land Doncic, it would appear every franchise in the NBA will be welcomed in a potential bidding war for Kevin Durant. The Phoenix Suns are expected to make their star available during the summer.
However, Nick Wright of Fox Sports doesn’t believe that Durant landing in South Beach makes sense, either for the team or the veteran superstar.
“I don’t understand why Kevin Durant would have interest in Miami,” Wright said. “I understand it’s Miami, and they have a history, and the weather’s great. Durant is, even by NBA standards, super rich. He can go wherever he wants. He has ‘own your own plane’ money. This team would be drawing dead. Even if they kept Herro and Bam, that team is not winning four rounds.”
The Heat undoubtedly need to make some changes this summer. They need another star-level talent. However, if Pat Riley is unable to bring a top-tier talent to South Beach, it may be time to accept the franchise is in need of a full-scale rebuild.
