3 Realistic moves the Miami Heat must make if they fail to land Damian Lillard
By Cal Durrett
Realistic Heat Move #2: Trade Tyler Herro
Assuming the Heat strike out on Lillard, they will still need to make a decision on Tyler Herro. Herro was Miami’s third-leading scorer in the regular season, averaging 20.1 points per game, but he missed all but one game during their impressive postseason run to the NBA finals. With Miami proving that they can win without him and reports that he is likely to be moved in a Lillard trade, they will either need to repair the relationship or go through with moving him.
In this scenario, moving him would appear to be the most likely outcome. The Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, and Utah Jazz have all been rumored to have interest in Herro and could be potential trade partners. The Heat should prioritize getting players back who can contribute next season but are on shorter contracts that are easily tradeable, as well as adding picks.
One option could be a trade with the Nets in which they move Herro for Spencer Dinwiddie, Royce O’Neale, a top-10 protected first-round pick in 2025 via the Phoenix Suns, and the Heat receiving their own 2025 second-round pick. That deal would give the Heat two rotation players who can help in the short term and give them a first and a second, as well as an expendable salary that they could use, should Lillard or another star come on the market.