Why The Miami Heat Do The Deal
This is not an obvious choice for the Miami Heat here. Realistically, it won’t be for any team landing Russell Westbrook.
Still, it’s justifiable. If you need to understand why, look at the offseason the Heat have had this summer. In all likelihood, it’s not going as they’d hoped.
The Heat have been linked to the biggest stars to hit the trade market this summer. Proposals that land them one of Kevin Durant or Donovan Mitchell have become commonplace. The problem is that the Heat don’t really have the ammunition to make a deal happen.
This team is low on both first-round picks and salary space. Unfortunately, that’ll make adding a star by trade or free agency difficult for the next several seasons. With this deal, they improve their standing in each category.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Updates On Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers & Miami Heat
If Jimmy Butler can extend his prime, this deal could lay the groundwork for a two-year plan for Miami. If he can’t, they probably won’t be winning an NBA championship any time soon anyway.