For any Miami Heat fans still holding out hope that the team could pursue a trade for Ja Morant, it's pretty safe to assume that those dreams are officially dead. After what Pat Riley said in his end-of-the-season press conference, it'd be pretty shocking if the Heat traded for Morant.
Specifically, Riley said that while the Heat's front office plans on being aggressive this offseason, they won't "make a stupid move that's gonna saddle us for years to come."
Of all the potential star players that the Heat have been linked to recently, this almost certainly points to Morant. Because of his contract, it's easy to see why the Heat may avoid a potential pursuit of Morant this summer.
Ja Morant presents an obvious risk for the Heat
Beyond the on-court risk that Morant would bring to the Heat, it's his bloated contract over the next few years that will present the biggest issue for justifying such a move.
Again, it's not necessarily the fact that he's playing some of the worst basketball of his young career; it's more so the idea that the Heat would have to pay him close to $87 million over the next two years. That's a level of investment that could end up hurting the Heat if Morant isn't able to turn his things around individually.
That may not be a risk that the Heat are in a position to take.
In the end, it may be for the best. It's not like the Heat are a Morant acquisition away from a monumental move up the Eastern Conference standings anyway. Let's be honest; even if the Heat were to acquire Morant, the roster would still need a big facelift around him.
Investing that much money in a player who may or may not pan out is historically not a smart move. But because the Heat have had success in making such gambles in the past, you almost have to trust them if they're willing to go down that path.
Could the Heat's stance change on Ja Morant?
But, at least for now, there seems to be growing evidence that they may not be willing to take on the risk. The initial signs began at this past year's NBA Trade Deadline when the Heat weren't even willing to seriously discuss a potential move, even when he could've been had on the cheap.
That said, maybe there's some wiggle room down the road.
You can't help but wonder if the Heat's stance on Morant may change if they end up missing out on the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kawhi Leonard during the offseason.
Both of those players are almost certainly higher on the Heat's wishlist this summer, but what if Miami comes out empty-handed on each of those fronts? At that point, all bets may be off.
It's only then that we'll be able to truly realize just how desperate the Heat may be in their pursuit of a star player. The Morant risk may not seem that crazy in that scenario.
For now, though, it does seem as if it would be quite surprising for the Heat to aggressively pursue a Morant trade. And Riley's comments make that pretty clear.
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