The Miami Heat were one of the premier teams in the Eastern Conference this season and should hold off on their pursuit of another star player, for now.
When the Miami Heat signed Jimmy Butler to a four-year, $142 million max contract this past offseason, many believed that the team had already gotten better, but would still be a bottom three playoff team, at best.
However, led by Butler, the Miami Heat shocked the basketball world as they went from borderline postseason team to top-tier contender overnight. They finished in the 4-seed with a 41-24 record when the NBA season halted due to the coronavirus pandemic and looked to be a lethal threat to other contenders in the Eastern Conference.
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Still, many suspected that they were still a piece or two away from legitimate championship contention, something they could try to address this offseason. Jrue Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans is a name that has come up the most frequently, as the star guard has been a top tier target across the league all season and among Miami’s most desirable targets.
Even Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler’s former teammate of the Philadelphia 76ers, has emerged as a possible trade target for Miami, according to Preston Ellis of Bleacher Report. In exchange for Embiid, the Heat would give up Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and potentially Duncan Robinson, a rather significant haul.
The trade for three-time All-Star Joel Embiid may seem promising on paper, but giving up three of their core players would be a risky move. Adebayo was a first-time All-Star this past season, and the young tandem of Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson provided a lethal scoring boost with their stellar 3-point shooting.
These three were a critical part of contributing to the team’s overall success this past season, and have possibly just scratched the surface of their potential. Giving up on these players so quickly, even for a player of Embiid’s stature, could prove to be a mistake because of how vital they proved to be for the Miami Heat.
While the Heat could face a plethora of intriguing trade options this offseason, their best bet would be to stay out of them for now. This team had been firing on all cylinders before the NBA’s suspension, and what they could have achieved in the postseason was left unanswered.
Miami could have genuinely been the team to come out of the Eastern Conference this year if the season went as planned, and still potentially could if the NBA miraculously returns. If the season does not resume, Miami should hold onto their core players because there will be no real evaluation of this team’s ceiling.
Pulling the trigger for a blockbuster trade such as the one involving Embiid is something the team should strive away from and let this current group run it back once more. With those three young players in particular on very team-friendly contracts, the team’s chances of landing another star in 2021 free agency remain very high, without messing with their current roster.
While the free agency class in 2020 is matching up to be rather lackluster aside from Anthony Davis, the 2021 group appears as if it could be one of the best in history. With superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and much more potentially set to hit the market, the Heat would undoubtedly like to get their hands on a solidified star from that group.
Trading away great players for another top-tier star right now would prove to be a hazardous move for their free agency plans, which makes it unlikely it will happen. With a team stacked with talent from top to bottom, the Miami Heat should look to avoid making any moves for star players this summer, but instead, look to retain players such as Jae Crowder or Goran Dragic without threatening their blockbuster plans for 2021.
The Miami Heat constructed a fantastic roster this past season, and if they were to add another certified star in 2021 to a team that can win now, that team could contend at the highest level for the next decade or so.