The Miami Heat are always searching for a star player to add to their roster. Damian Lillard has requested a trade and wants to come to South Beach. The talks between the Heat and Blazers have not gained any traction but could pick up as training camp draws near. There are zero guarantees that Lillard will end up in Miami, but that won’t stop the Heat from chasing another star.
James Harden and Pascal Siakam are available and others will hit the market before February’s deadline. The Heat owe their 2025 first-round pick to the Thunder with a top-14 protection. They can trade two first-round draft picks plus young talent and salaries to match. It may not be enough to acquire a top-five player, but never count out Pat Riley’s ability to land a star.
If the Heat are out on Lillard and Harden, can they pivot to find another marquee name? Miami would love to upgrade over Kyle Lowry, but can they find the right fit next to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo?
What star point guards will be available to the Miami Heat?
The Heat will be in on Dame until he is traded out of Portland. It could happen before the regular season or at the trade deadline. Fans will remember Kevin Durant requested a trade in the 2022 offseason but ended up playing the first half of last season with the Nets before being dealt to the Suns in February. Fans could see a repeat with Lillard.
Beyond that, Trae Young, Zach LaVine, and Chris Paul headline the names that could become available. Acquiring any of the three is a bit of a gamble, but one the Miami Heat might take to improve their title odds. They have been in the finals in two of the last four years, but Riley won’t be happy until he gets that tenth ring.
Could the Miami Heat land a young star point guard like Ice Trae? They did just that in a recent proposal.
Laying out the Miami Heat’s proposal for Trae Young
FanSided looked into potential deals out there if the Hawks decide to trade Trae Young. Atlanta appears committed to building a contender around their star backcourt. They tried to trade for Pascal Siakam (subscription required) but were unable to find a deal. If they struggle this season, the Hawks could look to trade Ice Trae in hopes of improving their defense and building a title-contender roster around Dejounte Murray.
Would Miami be able to slide in and acquire Trae Young? If so, the deal would look something like this FanSided package.
The Heat only have two first-round draft picks and one second-rounder to trade, so the Hawks virtually get a maximum offer here. Atlanta does not want Tyler Herro if they are trading Ice Trae. Young is a superior scorer and playmaker with similar defensive concerns. This package gives the Hawks some firepower to rebuild around Dejounte Murray.
Caleb Martin would instantly make an impact in Atlanta’s rotation. They also get the upside of Nikola Jovic and cap space for next summer when Kyle Lowry’s contract comes off their books.
This deal could hinge on the new Hawks front office’s belief in being able to contend with an undersized and defensively challenged point guard. If Atlanta believes they cannot, it is time to move on from Trae Young.
If the Atlanta Hawks are willing to accept, should the Miami Heat make this hypothetical trade a reality?
Would the Miami Heat accept this trade for Trae Young?
Young is one of the league’s best playmakers and offensive creators. Over the last four seasons combined, he averages 27.4 points, 9.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 34.7 minutes per game. Ice Trae would get Miami’s offensive rolling and create plenty of open looks. Things slowed in the playoffs, but Young would be an instant fix to those issues.
Can the Heat survive defensively with Trae Young? They finished ninth in defensive rating last season, and the Hawks were 22nd. Young struggles to defend on the ball, and the undersized 6’1 point guard cannot switch onto larger players.
He is a man without a position on the defensive end of the floor, and his team has to try to hide him on a lesser scoring option. The Heat do this with Tyler Herro and playing the two together would be disastrous.
Trading the aging Kyle Lowry for a prime Young would certainly improve the Heat’s title odds. It would hurt to lose Caleb Martin and Nikola Jovic, but those are the prices for acquiring another star player.
Grade: B+
The Miami Heat would instantly have a Big 3, but can Trae Young get them over the hump? He led the Hawks to the conference finals in 2021 and the 25-year-old is still improving. Jimmy Butler raises his game in the playoffs, and Bam Adebayo is one of the best centers in the NBA. Give them an elite point guard and the sky is the limit.
The Heat would need to trade Tyler Herro for this to work. The two cannot share the floor, and Herro won’t be happy playing 20 minutes per game. Miami could use the return for Herro to further improve their roster around their new Big 3.
Young’s defense makes this deal a B-plus, but it is a cheap price to pay for a two-time All-Star just entering his prime. The Heat may just make this trade if they cannot acquire Damian Lillard. Pat Riley is looking for a star, but which one will he find?
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