If, for whatever reason, the Miami Heat are not able to complete a trade for Damian Lillard, could they turn their attention to another star to help maximize Jimmy Butler’s championship window?
Over the last calendar year, the Heat have been involved in several top stars including Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell and, most recently, Lillard, who requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers three weeks ago. The Blazers have been reluctant to engage in trade talks with Miami, Lillard’s preferred destination, and the NBA recently sent a memo to all 30 teams regarding the rhetoric around Lillard’s specific trade demand.
The Heat remain focused on acquiring Lillard but there are too many impediments to overcome to consider a deal inevitable. Part of the league’s memo warned Lillard of holding out and not playing in games while under contract, leaving open the possibility that he could return to Portland and play again for the Blazers.
While Lillard should and will remain the Heat’s top priority, what if they cannot complete a deal for the seven-time All-Star? Here are five more stars they should keep an eye on:
1. James Harden
Like Lillard, Harden is also seeking a trade after the Philadelphia 76ers did not give him a raise this summer. Harden is reportedly angling to get dealt to the LA Clippers, but the Clippers lack the assets to get a deal done. Could the Heat get in on a Harden deal?
While not as clean a fit as Lillard, Harden could still help the Heat solve their halfcourt scoring issues. Harden is an eager shooter off the bounce and could welcome a return to being the No. 1 option on offense after playing with reigning MVP Joel Embiid. Harden taking the most shots on offense in Miami would allow Butler and Bam Adebayo to focus on what they do at an elite level — play defense and get teammates involved. Harden is a skilled pick-and-roll ball-handler who could form an elite partnership with Adebayo.
Harden can’t be counted on in the playoffs or to commit to a team long-term, but he could still be worth a look. Would the 76ers accept an offer built around Kyle Lowry’s expiring contract and draft picks? Would a third team that could send a high-level player in exchange for those picks and maybe Tyler Herro have to be involved?
2. Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell has a player option in 2026 and there’s growing skeptisicm around the league that he will re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps recently said on a podcast that he would be surprised if Mitchell signed another contract to remain in Cleveland.
“I don’t think there’s any chance he signs an extension there ever,” Bontemps said on an episode of the Hoop Collective podcast. “And if it was up to me, I would trade Donovan Mitchell today, because I don’t the Cavs are getting as far as they hope to next year, I don’t think he’s going to extend and I think they’ll get a lot more for him with two summers left than they would with one summer left.”
While the Cavs won’t be exploring trading Mitchell any time soon after making the playoffs, a disappointing season could raise questions about their future. There are also unanswered questions about Mitchell’s fit with Darius Garland and, if Mitchell is a flight risk, the Cavs could consider trading him next summer for players who fit better around Garland and big man Evan Mobley.
If the Cavs got to that point, the Heat are a logical trade partner. They explored a deal for Mitchell when he was traded from the Utah Jazz last summer, and Mitchell’s close friendship with Adebayo could give them an inside track on a deal.
3. Karl-Anthony Towns
Of course, Butler and Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns already played together once in Minnesota and, um, it did not go well. That said, both Butler and Towns are at very different stages of their careers and a second stint likely wouldn’t end the same way as the first.
Towns is among the greatest shooting big men ever, and he’s show improvement as a playmaker and (marginally) as a defender. Playing him alongside a versatile big man in Adebayo and two-way talent such as Butler could only help him, and he would immediately become an important floor-spacing presence in Miami’s offense and a long-term answer at a position of annual turnover.
What would it cost to trade for Towns? A lot. Herro, young players such as Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez Jr. and several first-round picks and swaps would be the starting point of a package.
There’s concerns about fit. It’s already clunky in Minnesota between Towns and Rudy Gobert. Would Towns and Adebayo have better chemistry? Is Towns capable of being the No. 1 scoring option as Butler ages? Can the Heat cover up or repair Towns’s offseason warts?
This one seems like a longshot, but it is a situation worth monitoring if the season does not go as planned for the Timberwolves.
4. Joel Embiid
Many around the league believe the real prize in Philadelphia isn’t Harden, but Joel Embiid. If the Sixers can’t at least make the conference finals this season, there’s speculation that Embiid could seek to win a championship elsewhere. His recent response to a question by Rich Paul at the UNINTERRUPTED Film Festival only enflamed that speculation.
“I just want to win a championship. Whatever it takes,” Embiid said. “I don’t know where that’s gonna be, whether it’s in Philly or anywhere else, I just want to have a chance to accomplish that. I want to see what it feels like to win that first one, and then you can think about the next one.
“It’s not easy, but it takes more than one or two, three guys. You got to have good people around you. … Every single day, I work hard to be at that level so I can produce and make it happen. So, every single day, I’m working towards that goal.”
Embiid is among the most dominate scorers in the NBA. He averaged 33 points on 55% shooting last season, and his size is transformative on defense and on the boards.
The question for Miami is whether it would be willing to part with Adebayo, the franchise cornerstone, for Embiid. Although Embiid and Butler remain close, I question the Heat’s appetite to give up Adebayo for any player in the league. They seem, publicly and privately, committed to Adebayo, who has publicly voiced his desire to finish his career in Miami. But if this were really on the table, they’d at least have to have a meeting about it.
5. Luka Doncic
The clock is ticking on the Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic can become a free agent in 2026, giving Dallas two or three more years to prove that they can build a contender around him. Last season’s decision to trade for Kyrie Irving didn’t lead to immediate dividends and the Mavs finished outside of the playoffs with 38 wins. Another disappointing season could put Dallas in a tough spot.
The Mavs re-signed Irving and added Grant Williams this offseason, but will that be enough to compete with teams like the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers? Luka is just 24 and is coming off a season in which he averaged 32 points. He’s a nightly triple-double watch and among the league’s best scorers. There’s no question that he will be one of the league’s best players for the next decade. Should his contract expire without an extension in 2026, he’d be the biggest free agent since Kevin Durant in 2016. Yes, the Heat are projected to have cap space.
But if Luka demands a trade before then, he’ll also be the biggest trade target in recent NBA history. Championship-level scorers on the doorstep of their prime don’t become available often. The Mavericks would be swarmed with offers and it’s unclear if the Heat could offer anything worth consideration. The best chance might be to wait and hope Luka decides to explore free agency in 2026. By then, the Heat could be ready to move on to the next era anyway.