3 reasons Miami must go all in on Damian Lillard trade after losing out on Bradley Beal
The first domino of the NBA offseason has fallen, with Bradley Beal set to head to the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Wizards. With the Miami Heat touted as the other team likely to land the former Wizards star, this may look like their second loss in a week after they went down in the NBA Finals to the Denver Nuggets. But it doesn’t have to be.
As good as Beal is, he’s not Damian Lillard, and the Heat look set to make a major play for the Portland Trail Blazers’ point guard over the coming days and weeks. Lillard hasn’t officially requested a trade out of Portland but the rumor mills have been in overdrive, and the Heat are reportedly confident that he will during the offseason. He’s already suggested Miami would be high on his list of teams he’d like to play for – particularly once they failed to win the championship – meaning the Heat look like one of, if not the, frontrunners to land the 32-year-old.
But should they? Invariably they’ll have to give up plenty, and with Lillard 32 years old and Jimmy Butler 33, it would be very much an ‘all the eggs in one basket’ scenario for the Heat if they bring him in. But while those concerns are valid, Damian Lillard is Damian Lillard. Here are three reasons why the Miami Heat should do all they can to secure his signature this offseason.
1. Damian Lillard is, like, really good
This might seem obvious, but it’s also pretty relevant. Lillard isn’t just a pretty good player who could bring an extra couple of wins with him to Miami – he’s one of the absolute best of the best, a seven-time All-Star and, importantly, someone renowned for his ability to thrive in the most pressure-packed moments. You know who else has that reputation? Jimmy Butler. Put these two together and you’ve got an extremely clutch pairing.
Lillard’s points average has hovered in the high 20s for much of his career, and peaked last year at 32.2 points. His shot range knows no bounds, and with the Heat not a particularly good shooting team – save for an anomalous playoff series aside – that floor-spacing would be welcomed. What’s more, though he’s known more for his scoring than passing, Lillard is also a good playmaker, averaging over seven assists per game in each of his past four seasons. The Heat don’t have a bonafide point guard – Tyler Herro is the closest thing (and whether he would survive a trade for Lillard is far from certain) while in his absence Gabe Vincent was starting in the position in the playoffs.
Lillard is a brilliant player, one of the best in the world, and every team in the league would welcome him with open arms. Add to that the fact that he would complement the Heat’s existing pieces nicely, and it’s easy to understand why they’re reportedly so keen on him.
2. The Miami Heat need another piece
It’s a sometimes overrated idea in the NBA and sports more generally that you need to be a perfect team to win a championship. Every team is flawed, and it’s not always the best team that ends up victorious, even in a seven-game series. The Heat showed as much by beating the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics, but against the Denver Nuggets they realistically didn’t look like getting close from pretty early on in that series.
Their undrafted fleet is a whole lot more capable than most gave them credit for, but the likes of Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and co can only do so much. That leaves a whole lot of responsibility on the shoulders of Butler and Bam Adebayo, and as good as they are they’re also overmatched by many other duos in the league.
The Heat were just a solitary series away from winning the championship, and generally in my view if you get that close you’re capable of winning it if things go your way. That may still ring true, but as far as NBA Finals teams go, this Heat side is one which could certainly use a little more juice. With Damian Lillard, Butler and Adebayo, combined with their almost unparalleled ability to be a better whole than the sum of their parts, they would be a great chance to get back to the Finals next season.
3. Butler ain’t getting any younger
Jimmy Butler wasn’t at his absolute best during the latter stages of the playoffs, but early on he showed what Playoffs Jimmy is capable of. He’s the focal point of this team and is still more than capable of putting his teammates on his back, but he’s also going to turn 34 later this year. His isn’t a game which is hugely reliant on athleticism so, hopefully, he still has a few good years left, but it would be understandable to see him begin to wane slightly over the next couple of years.
They need to capitalize while Butler is still in or close to his prime, and the addition of one of the best players in the league sounds like a pretty good way to do that. For Miami, the time is now – Dame Time, that is.
