5 Tyler Herro trades that would net Miami Heat another star
By Jack Simone
5 Tyler Herro trades that would net Miami Heat another star: Damian Lillard
The Portland Trail Blazers seem intent on putting a playoff-caliber team around Damian Lillard, but if they switch gears and decide to flip him, the Miami Heat make a ton of sense as a landing spot.
If there’s any team around the league that can accept Lillard into their system and allow him to be at his best, it would be the Heat. They have the perfect infrastructure in place for him.
Defensively, Lillard is a net negative, but Miami would be putting a great defensive team around him. Plus, their stars don’t need the ball. Jimmy Butler isn’t ball-dominant in the regular season, and Bam Adebayo isn’t a score-first guy.
In fact, Lillard would be able to waltz into Miami and probably take the same number of shots per game he’s been taking in Portland. The only difference? A better supporting cast and an elite head coach.
Meanwhile, this package would set the Trail Blazers up nicely for the future. They could build around Anfernee Simons and Tyler Herro (though that defensive combination sounds miserable) and let them both play their games.
Duncan Robinson could be a nice reclamation project for Portland, or they could simply look to flip him into more assets. Add in a top-20 pick in this year’s draft, and 19-year-old Nikola Jovic, and this is a decent package.
Plus, by the time the picks Miami would be handing Portland convey, there’s a chance the Heat aren’t a playoff team anymore, making those selections very valuable.
Potential starting lineups
Heat: Damian Lillard, Max Strus (if re-signed), Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin, Bam Adebayo
Trail Blazers: Scoot Henderson (if drafted third), Anfernee Simons, Tyler Herro, Trendon Watford (?), Drew Eubanks (?)