Miami Heat Acquire Young All-Star In Blockbuster Deal

With the recent departure of Jimmy Butler, the Miami Heat should be looking for a third star to pair with Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.

LaMelo Ball has been an impactful player for the Charlotte Hornets since his arrival in 2020. The No. 3 pick comes from a famous basketball family but has built himself the most impressive resume of the Balls with a Rookie of the Year award and a 2022 All-Star nod.

The Hornets have been stuck in purgatory throughout these five seasons with Ball. They might look to move on from the young superstar this summer. The Heat could be a team to enter the sweepstakes.

A trade between the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets could resemble:

Miami Heat receive: G LaMelo Ball

Charlotte Hornets receive: G Terry Rozier, C Kel’el Ware, F Haywood Highsmith, 2029 first-round draft pick (Lottery Protected), 2031 first-round draft pick

For the Heat, acquiring Ball could help elevate this team in the Eastern Conference. Ball and Herro are scoring machines and paired together, the backcourt could be scoring lots of points. The one issue acquiring Ball and pairing him with Herro is the lack of defensive strength. Both guards are offensive-focused but with Andrew Wiggins and Adebayo in the frontcourt, the team’s defense could still be strong.

For the Hornets, it seems it may be time to blow up this rebuild. The post-Kemba Walker era has been nothing memorable for the organization. Acquiring Kel’el Ware could help jumpstart a new rebuild. Ware has been one of the more impressive rookies in the NBA this season. Rozier could provide a veteran presence even though his contract has not resembled his play on the court. A return to Charlotte might work out for him. Highsmith is a solid defensive wing that can make an impact on a relatively cheap contract.

The two first-round picks would be needed to make this work as Ball is a young superstar. He would command multiple first-round picks if another star is not involved in the deal. Both teams are restricted financially to give up more with the apron.

The Heat will be an interesting team to track this offseason but a blockbuster deal for Ball could kickstart a brand new era of Heat basketball.

REPORT: HEAT MAY PURSUE DURANT THIS OFFSEASON

The Miami Heat have been able to land big-name superstars over the past few decades.

Now, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant may soon be added to the list.

The Suns are having a rough season. Many in league circles expect the Suns to part with Durant this coming offseason with the team sitting at 29-33, even outside the Play-In Tournament.

The teams expected to pursue Durant this summer are the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers according to Ashish Mathur of HoopsWire.

The Suns reportedly shopped Durant prior to this season’s trade deadline. However, Durant did not want to be traded midseason like he did in 2023 while with the Brooklyn Nets.

The Heat just experienced their own situation with a superstar being traded after shipping Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 5. There were reports stating the Warriors were prioritizing the idea of re-acquiring Durant instead of fully pursuing Butler. However, after Durant publicly rejected a trade to return to Golden State, the Warriors made the play for Butler.

Even at 36 years old, Durant is playing high-level basketball. He is averaging 26.9 points, six rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 52 percent from the field.

“Durant doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract, but he and the Suns are expected to work together on a trade so he can land somewhere he wants to be,” Mathur added.

If the Heat can land Durant, a trio of him, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo could catapult the team as favorites in the Eastern Conference.

REPORT: MAVS PURSUED BUTLER PRIOR TO DEADLINE

The Dallas Mavericks are one of the more polarizing teams in basketball at the moment.

The NBA and its fanbase continued to be puzzled by the franchise’s decision to trade young superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis prior to last month’s trade deadline.

However, prior to the blockbuster trade involving Doncic, the Mavericks were reportedly interested in acquiring the Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

“Before the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic in a blockbuster deal to acquire Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round draft pick, the team also expressed interest in Jimmy Butler and Kyle Kuzma, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto reported.

The Mavericks were one of a few teams Butler initially preferred as a destination.

Scotto later added, “PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford briefly came up in trade talks for Butler, but exploratory discussions didn’t go far, league sources told HoopsHype. At the time, Miami sought starting-caliber players on short-term deals who could help the Heat compete this season while giving them financial flexibility for the future as part of a trade package for the disgruntled Butler.”

Butler requested a contract extension last summer. Heat president Pat Riley denied the extension, leading to a falling out between the two. Butler’s age made it difficult for Riley and the Heat to commit to more seasons. Butler has a player option this offseason but all signs pointed to him declining that option and entering free agency if not moved prior to the deadline.

Butler would end up being shipped to the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 5 in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson and a future protected first-round draft pick.

Sean Jordan is a contributor to Miami Heat On Sports Illustrated. He can be reached at sjorda06@syr.edu.

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