The Miami Heat shot to the top of people’s list to land Chris Paul after missing on Russell Westbrook. Amid that notion resurfacing, here’s why it won’t happen.
After the Miami Heat landed Jimmy Butler to begin the offseason, many fans and pundits thought that the Miami Heat were done and were complacently happy to land one superstar this offseason. That notion was quickly nixed after word started to get out that there may be another NBA superstar available and on the move.
In the rubble that was the aftermath of the Paul George to the L.A. Clippers deal and as assumed by many, Russell Westbrook let the Oklahoma City brass know that he was not down for another rebuilding period and that he wanted out. If you know anything about Pat Riley, then you know this was music to his ears. Riley has a penchant for being able to get deals accomplished that others see as complicated, tedious, sensitive, and/or taxing.
With the haul that the Thunder got from the Clippers and the fact that the Brodie was their preeminent superstar and face of the franchise, this transaction was sure to be a doozy for whoever was looking to acquire the superstar guard. Eventually, a deal happened that saw Riley being unable to land Westbrook, which resulted in Westbrook and Chris Paul switching teams.
After the Thunder landed Chris Paul, who is due about $124.1 million across the next three seasons including this one that is upcoming, it was all but certain that they would try to move him again or buy him out, even at such a high number. The Miami Heat were a name that also came up once this became obvious, but a deal never materialized between the Thunder and the Heat, or anybody else for that matter.
Fast forward a few months down the road and here we are again right before the season begins. According to a very reliable source in Shams Charania of The Athletic (subscription required), the Miami Heat still “have a level of interest in Chris Paul.”
Don’t let that level confuse you though, that interest will more than likely never come to acquisitional fruition. This is for a few reasons, with the most important among those reasons being the money that he is owed. Here is a tweet from Barry Jackson that explains in totality a bit better.
As we reported in mid July, Heat interest is lukewarm. Heat would need to get draft picks back and have comfort level that Paul would opt out of 44 M in summer of 21 so Miami can pursue top free agent. https://t.co/Ae3F9AzVJ9
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) September 23, 2019
As Jackson stated, the Miami Heat would need three specific things to happen in order to make this a reality. They would need draft capital back, a willingness to move a young player(asset) to get it done, and a trust in CP3 that he would opt out in 2021. Neither of the aforementioned are likely.
The Heat have a pretty good squad and to move anyone would severely hurt them and their chances this upcoming season, the Thunder would most likely be reluctant to move any of their draft picks considering that they have just committed to a full and total rebuild by selling the entire house, Chris Paul is no fool and especially not one that will give up $44 million, and Pat Riley isn’t a fool that would trust anyone to walk away from that kind of money.
A member of our staff here at AUCH in one Tristan Tucker said that the only way he can see it happening is if “Waiters (Dion) and JJ (James Johnson) start the season awfully” with the Heat having a “.500 record” or worst, the Heat are able to “get both (not one, BOTH)” of their “first-round picks back”, along with CP3 promising “to opt-out before Summer of 21”. While Tristan’s on to something, only his first condition has even a semblance of happening, even though we hope that Waiters and Johnson both don’t struggle to start. Regardless of which side you stand on when it comes to Chris Paul and what he offers a team though, this is why it’s unlikely he ends up with the Miami Heat.