Miami Heat face dilemma even if they add Damian Lillard
By Noah Decker
After much speculation, Damian Lillard has finally requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. The Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Philadelphia 76ers are reported to be top suitors for the superstar guard, but the Heat have the clear advantage at the moment. There is mutual interest between the Heat and Lillard, and Portland seems willing to do right by their franchise star.
This is great news for the Heat. They could be adding an elite scorer who could be the number one offensive option for the team. This will certainly provide some relief for Jimmy Butler, who can remain an elite all-around threat.
However, not everything about this potential trade is perfect. Although Dame is a great fit in Miami, there are some issues regarding a trade scenario.
The conversation for Lillard starts with Tyler Herro. After that, either Kyle Lowry or Duncan Robinson will be involved to match salaries.
This is where the issues come in. If the Heat trade Lowry, they will have a lack of depth at point guard. If the Heat trade Duncan Robinson, they will have a lack of shooters.
With Gabe Vincent heading to Los Angeles and Max Strus heading to Cleveland, the Heat have holes to fill. The problem is that after only a couple days of free agency, there aren’t many options left.
The Heat are very limited financially in what they can do. They can either sign players to minimum contracts or make trades to sign vets. Bringing Josh Richardson back at the minimum was a good start, but the Heat cannot stop there.
Guard depth is extremely important in a league dominated by guards. Lillard will need a strong backup. Unfortunately, the Heat might not be able to find a backup in the market as good as Lowry. There are a few options for the Heat, such as Goran Dragic and Cory Joseph.
Although the Heat were lights-out last postseason, they were the worst 3-point shooting team in the league last year. Lillard is an elite shooter, but they will still need to surround Jimmy and Bam with other shooting pieces. Eric Gordon could be a good veteran option for them. Perhaps if the Heat land Lillard, he’d be willing to take a discount for a chance to compete for a championship.
The Heat are going to get better if they add Lillard but will need to maintain their depth if they want to win a championship. They will need to add veterans on the margins in order to do so. Their vaunted development program will have to churn one another unexpected contributor or two. Getting Lillard is a no-brainer, but what happens next would be another challenge for this front office.