Heat-Kyrie Irving rumors take turn, but analyst believes Miami will 'emerge' to land one of two stars

A trip to the 2023 NBA Finals wasn't enough to satisfy Pat Riley and the Miami Heat, as they look primed and ready to secure the trophy sooner than later. Obviously, that means adding an additional piece or two to pair with All-Star Jimmy Butler, and it seems that may be the focus for the Heat this offseason.

In an interesting whirlwind of pre-draft NBA trade rumors, the recent action began with whispers of Kyrie Irving's potential interest in joining the Heat. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel explained the latest on Irving, stating that while he does believe the All-Star guard wants to come to Miami, he doesn't believe the Heat will make that move, as he told SiriusXM NBA Radio.

“I do think Kyrie Irving wants to come here… I don’t think the Heat are going to be subservient to Kyrie’s wishes. I would find that much more of a long shot.” Winderman stated.

Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard trade talk revs up

From there, the conversation shifted to the Heat and a potential trade to acquire either Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard. ESPN's Brian Windhorst spoke on ESPN's 'Get Up' on Thursday, June 15 about those potential outcomes and trade rumors, stating that the "Heat are in the thick of this" and he expects them to "emerge from this summer having upgraded their roster in a meaningful way."
As Forbes detailed, Windhorst discussed potential Beal-to-Miami and Lillard-to-Miami trades.

“The Heat could make a clean trade if Bradley Beal wants to be there,” Windhorst said. “I could see it happening, he fits in.”

As for Lillard, Windhorst said that if the Blazers look to trade Lillard, he'll potentially be an even better fit considering "point guard is where the Heat needs it."

There's no denying that either Beal or Lillard would be a great fit in Miami and play well next to Butler. Specifically, Lillard would indeed make the most sense, and it'd allow Butler to mix and match playing on the ball and off it, pairing either player with the Heat's current star would also go a long way. If Lillard or Beal are acquired by the Heat, it would immediately open things up for Butler and the other Heat players, but the looming question is what the cost for either trade could look like.

The most likely outcome of the two potential trades appears to be Beal, all things considered. That said, the Washington Wizards star has a no-trade clause that allows him to choose his team and the package that's sent back to Washington in return, which certainly complicates the situation a bit.