Suppose the Miami Heat could land LaMelo Ball via trade in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic, and a lottery-protected 2030 first-round pick. In that case, there should be little hesitation in the team's willingness to pull the trigger on a deal. In this proposed deal by Bleacher Report, the Heat would be huge winners, and it could be exactly what they need.
It's understandable to be encouraged by the Heat's 10-6 start to the season. They're one game out of the two-seed, and Tyler Herro has yet to play a minute for the team this season. On paper, they're in a good spot.
But despite Herro's impending return to the lineup, there's no question that they have a limited ceiling this season, no matter how good their All-Star guard looks when he's back in the fold.
The Heat have limitations
Erik Spoelstra has done a great job in revolutionizing the Heat's offense (again), and this is a team that has a look of one that could be fiesty down the stretch in a weakened Eastern Conference. However, if they're going to seriously make a run in the playoffs, they need more star power.
That's why this proposed type of low-risk, high-reward trade for a star player (in this case, Ball) is one that the Heat would have to seriously consider.
In theory, Ball would be an excellent fit in the Heat's new offense. Ball likes to play fast, he's a great playmaker, and he loves to shoot 3's. While there are understandable concerns about his capabilities (and effort) on the defensive end of the floor, Ball is the type of fringe-star player with a superstar ceiling that the Heat notoriously has been willing to take a risk on.
LaMelo Ball at a discount would be tempting
Add in that he could be had at a discount via trade, and this automatically transforms into a very interesting conversation.
Sure, Ball is not necessarily the type of star player that many fans may be demanding. He's polarizing across the league and is a player that many of the traditional NBA fundamentalists don't "like" how he plays the game. However, the raw talent that Ball has at just 24 years old could be too good for the Heat to pass up on.
A trade for Ball would immediately raise the ceiling for Miami, and if they could pull off such a move without losing any of their long-term core pieces, while also only having to part ways with one first-round pick, I'm not sure what the real argument would be against this move.
Sure, there's always some risk in making a trade for an unproven player in the league. But at some point, if you're not willing to take a risk, then maybe you're not serious about building another championship roster.
It's time for the Heat to start thinking bigger. And Ball could be one option that becomes on the table for the Heat over the next couple of months.