In the next several weeks, the Miami Heat will be a team in full pursuit of acquiring a high-tier NBA star. With recent thoughts here on guys like Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, and Kristaps Porzingis, another name can be added to the list in current Dallas Mavericks superstar, Luka Doncic.
Doncic, a skilled 22-year old phenomenon from Slovenia, has been rumored to be in the midst of a potential rift between he and the Mavericks front office in regards to the team’s direction. With that, those rumors have sent the Miami Heat social media into a hysteria.
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, especially for a team looking to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference and after reaching the NBA Finals less than a year ago. With a disappointing first-round postseason exit themselves, despite holding a 3-2 series lead over the Los Angeles Clippers, a lacking of a secondary scorer for the Mavericks superstar was quite apparent in the series.
The Miami Heat have to swing for the fences if they get the pitch this offseason. A chance at Luka Doncic is always that pitch.
Unable to provide help has drawn interrogation and has brought into question Doncic’s desire to remain with the Mavericks long term. A departure could happen and it could be as early as this summer.
For any team that wishes to get involved in discussions for Doncic, there’s going to be a high asking price from Dallas. In Miami’s case, they may not have the strongest assets — especially in draft capital — in comparisons to other teams but if they’re a preferred destination, a large package deal could be created and it would likely be centered around on their two stars, Jimmy Butler or Bam Adebayo.
Nonetheless, if the opportunity to acquire one of the league’s greatest talents for the next generation presents itself, taking that “opportunity” is a must. A notion for Miami being a significant destination for a Doncic is a possible reunion with Goran Dragic, a 12-year NBA veteran, Slovenian teammate, and friend of Luka’s.
This makes the Miami Heat very considerable atop other teams. There is already an ambassador there for which a relationship could be built.
In 199 career-games with Dallas, Luka has averaged 25.7 points per game, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists on about 46 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent from three. His game has elevated in the NBA Playoffs, with 35.7 points and dishing over 10 assists in the Mavericks seven-game series against the Clippers.
After being selected third overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018 NBA Draft, Doncic was traded to Dallas for Trae Young and Cam Reddish (drafted later that night), to go on to become this elite cornerstone for the Mavericks organization ever since. While Luka is expected to sign a super-max extension in the summer of 2021-22, there could be a halt in that impending transaction.
If these rumors are true, expect the Heat to pounce and somehow, find a way to try to sway the two-time All-Star.