It’s the worst-kept secret in the NBA. The mutual interest between Damian Lillard and the Miami Heat is well-documented. At this point, even casual fans of the league are aware of the situation.
Does that mean that the Portland Trail Blazers will send Lillard to the Heat? We wouldn’t go that far. The Heat are going to have to work overtime to find a third partner to facilitate a deal. The Blazers aren’t likely to be interested in Tyler Herro, and without including him, the Heat don’t have a competitive offer to make for Lillard.
How will that situation pan out? Time will tell. In the meantime, the Heat should have backup options. If they’ve got their heart set on landing a star guard, they should at least be looking elsewhere. Could they look to Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls?
The Trade Proposal
Chicago Bulls Receive: G Tyler Herro, G/F Duncan Robinson, F Nikola Jovic, 2027 First-Round Pick (MIA), 2029 First-Round Pick (Swap – MIA)
Miami Heat Receive: G/F Zach LaVine
Of course, Lillard and the Blazers didn’t get here overnight. He’s been their franchise player for a long time. For most of his time in Rip City, Lillard has sworn his loyalty to the organization. Still, things can only remain stagnant for so long.
The Blazers are stuck on the mediocrity treadmill. Often, that’s seen as the worst place that an NBA team can find itself. The Blazers had been too good to land lottery picks, and not good enough to contend. Recently, they’ve simply been bad enough to land lottery picks.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Miami Heat & Chicago Bulls Updates
So, Lillard wants out. That’s understandable. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls are dangerously close to finding themselves in the same predicament. Does this deal get them out of it?
Why The Chicago Bulls Do The Deal
We think so. The Bulls are giving up the best player in this trade. It should make them worse. This type of move wouldn’t have been palpable for them in 2022-23. The Bulls owed their first-round pick to the Orlando Magic.
This season, they control their own draft. The Bulls ought to bottom out. With that in mind, adding an impact player like Herro may be suboptimal. We’re not concerned. Herro is far less impactful than LaVine. If Chicago can find takers for DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, they’ll be among the worst squads in the association.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Miami Heat & Chicago Bulls Updates
Still, the Bulls aren’t strictly doing this deal to bottom out. If they’re rebuilding, Herro should be appealing – he’s much younger than LaVine. Throw in a first-round pick and a swap, as well as an intriguing young player in Jovic, and this could be enough to have the Bulls move on from LaVine. Should the Heat want him?
Why The Miami Heat Do The Deal
Some will suggest that LaVine is not a good substitute for Lillard. The Heat need a point guard. How does LaVine qualify?
Well, what is a point guard, anyway? Lillard is a score-first player. Functionally, he’s not so dissimilar to LaVine. Meanwhile, the Heat get ample playmaking in their frontcourt from Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. This team needs to add the best guard they can for 2023-24. It doesn’t really matter what their skillset looks like.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Miami Heat & Chicago Bulls Updates
With that in mind, LaVine has an impressive skill set. He’s one of the more talented shot creators in the NBA. The Heat are fresh off of a trip to the NBA Finals – they don’t need young players and draft capital. They need a star guard – whether it’s Damian Lillard or not.
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