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NBA Trades: This Bulls-Heat-Blazers-Clippers-76ers deal would be historic

By Cal Durrett

Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers NBA hugs Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls after the game at United Center on February 04, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. 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. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers NBA hugs Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls after the game at United Center on February 04, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. 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. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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NBA Trades: Miami Heat

In the mega-deal, the Heat would finally get their man in Lillard, but not without giving up a lot. The Heat’s roster would be gutted, with four players being moved in order to acquire Lillard. That would be in addition to two first-round picks, as well as letting two starters from last season’s NBA Finals team, Gabe Vincent and Max Struss, leave earlier this offseason.

In that scenario, Miami would have paper-thin depth beyond a good starting lineup and Nurkic, which could hurt them during their first year with their new star. Even then, Lillard, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo are a championship-caliber big three. Equally important, the Heat have proven more than capable of reloading their roster with a bunch of undervalued players on the fly. That decreases the potential downside of the trade for Miami.

The goal for Miami this offseason is apparently to raise their ceiling by adding a star, and they would do that in this trade. As to whether the Heat would agree to this deal for Lillard or not, they would almost certainly prefer a paired-down trade that would result in them giving up less. Even then, they may actually agree to the deal since it allows them to increase the ceiling of their team.