Hoops Habit
Fansided

A 4-team blockbuster trade involving the Miami Heat and Damian Lillard

By Simon Smith

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 22: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on during the game against the Denver Nuggets on January 22, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 22: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on during the game against the Denver Nuggets on January 22, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
(Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Miami Heat

Put simply, there is no current genuine star on the Heat roster.

Yes, Goran Dragic was named to his first All-Star Game last season, but he’s just turned 32 and has rarely been considered in the upper echelon of players in the league.

The highest-paid player on the roster, center Hassan Whiteside, is coming off an up-and-down season capped off with an incredibly disappointing playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers.

https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/996501396412358657

Possibly the most consistent performer last season for the Heat was swingman Josh Richardson. One of just three players in the league to record at least 120 steals and 70 blocks, Richardson enhanced his reputation as one of the most disruptive perimeter defenders in the league, and was very unlucky to not be selected to an NBA All-Defensive Team.

Furthermore, Richardson’s offensive game continued to evolve, returning .451/.378/.845 shooting splits while averaging 12.9 points per game.

However, at 24, it’s hard to see Richardson having many more levels to reach in the coming years. For the most part, the remainder of the roster is full of solid to good players, with most possessing contracts that make them difficult to deal away considering their relative limitations as players.

So in order to acquire a player like Lillard, who also finished fourth in MVP voting, a combination of those players mentioned, and others such as versatile forward Justise Winslow, would need to packaged in order to satisfy the needs of both the Blazers and the other parties involved in the deal.

Home/Miami Heat