The Miami Heat could make a blockbuster move this offseason, according to NBA insider Brian Windhorst.
Since Miami is a popular city to live in due to the warm weather and the Heat made it all the way to the NBA Finals this year, a star player could request a trade to South Beach this offseason or sign with the Heat in free agency.
“They have draft picks at their disposal,” Windhorst said on his podcast. “And they potentially have tradeable contracts and I think they’re going to go hunting for a star. I don’t know if they’ll get one. I don’t know if it will break their way. There’s other teams interested in it. I’m not going to sit here and tell you who it is because I’ll get aggregated. But there are players they are keeping an eye on and they have the ability to do it, especially if the player says, ‘Send me to Miami.’
“They have a little window here before the second apron kicks in where they may be able to spend a little bit of money. They have some draft picks they can trade. After the draft, they get access to their 2030 pick. They have the 18th pick in this draft, not that that’s super interesting. I don’t think they can beat all comers on a star trade, but if a player says, ‘Send me to Miami,’ in the next two weeks, they’re not in the worst position.”
The Heat have been linked to James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal and Joel Embiid. Miami forward Jimmy Butler has a close relationship with Irving and Embiid. Harden and Irving will become unrestricted free agents this offseason, while Beal, Lillard and Embiid are under contract.
Pat Riley is one of the most aggressive execs in NBA history, so it wouldn’t surprise anyone in the league to see the Heat make a huge splash this offseason.
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