ESPN reporter believes the Miami Heat will trade for Kyrie Irving

ESPN’s NBA insider Ramona Shelburne predicts that Pat Riley and the Miami Heat will pull off a deal to acquire Kyrie Irving from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Despite Kyrie Irving including the Miami Heat on his list of preferred destinations, few think he’ll actually end up playing in South Beach. Even the team reportedly believes it to be a long shot.

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Miami doesn’t have the assets. Cleveland is looking for foundational young players and draft picks, neither of which the Heat have. Justise Winslow is their best, young player, but he’s coming off of an injury and two sub-par shooting seasons. Plus, the Heat can’t trade a first-round pick until 2023.

If Irving is traded to the Heat, it likely means the market for the star point guard is much cooler than most believe.

However, ESPN’s NBA insider Ramona Shelburne gives the Heat a chance.

"Miami. The team that gets Kyrie is going to have to be OK with giving up a lot of young assets for a player who could leave in two years. So the four teams on his list have an advantage in knowing he’d be likely to stay there beyond his current contract. Minnesota can probably offer the most, but it’s hard to see the Wolves parting with Andrew Wiggins, given coach Tom Thibodeau’s valuation of defense. The Heat are dying for a young star, and Pat Riley and Andy Elisburg are both creative and bold enough to find a way to get this deal done. I think the Cavs will be worse after dealing Irving, because right now there’s no real leverage for Cleveland to push for multiple picks or young players."

Shelburne’s reasoning is that (a) Miami is on Kyrie’s list, so he’d be more likely to re-sign in two years and (b) the Heat are desperate. She’s not wrong. Without a Super Star, or the draft picks or salary cap room to acquire one, trading is Miami’s only avenue to acquiring a player with the potential of Irving.

Likewise, it might not be worth it to Minnesota or Phoenix–teams with multiple young, promising players, and draft picks–to flip those assets for Irving, who may not stay long term. Why would the Timberwolves move Wiggins, a 20-point scorer with two-way potential, for a defensive liability like Irving? Why would Phoenix trade someone like Josh Jackson before they’ve even seen him in action? Maybe they do but, if they don’t, they have just as much–if not less–to deal than the Heat.

Next: Cavaliers may be asking for too much for Irving

Miami could offer a package of Goran Dragic, Wayne Ellington and Justise Winslow for Irving and Iman Shumpert. That would be a steal for someone like Irving, but we’ve been surprised by what stars have gotten moved for this past year.