5 reasons Miami Heat should take Ben Simmons in a Damian Lillard trade
By Seth Quinn
Reason #3: The Miami Heat are in win-now mode
Looking at the current roster, the Heat are built for the present. Jimmy Butler, the current best player and highest-paid player, is heading into his age 34 season, and will almost certainly be making $52 million by the time his contract is expiring as a 36-year-old (has a player option). Jimmy is still fantastic but isn’t getting any younger, so the desperation to win a title with this group is only getting higher.
While the Heat will likely have Bam Adebayo long after Butler is gone, as he will only be 26 entering this coming season, he doesn’t have the offensive firepower to lead a team, at least not yet.
If the Heat want to win a championship, the time is running out, so huge risks, like taking on Simmons and his contract, might be necessary. The Heat are also in a situation where the rest of the roster besides Jimmy is either old, on a not-great contract, or both. Adding more to that won’t cripple them as much as it could with other teams.
The Heat have a uniquely constructed roster to the point where they can afford to bring in bad contracts without hurting themselves all that much. That’s why they are so eager to bring in Lillard despite his age and contract. There shouldn’t be much hesitation to bring in another one if it means getting Lillard.