Ja Morant will be traded — let's get that out of the way. If it's not during this season, it will be in the offseason. There's too much blood flowing in Memphis. It started flowing a season ago, and it will continue to flow until the wound is stitched.
Why are the Miami Heat a hot topic as it relates to Morant? Because the Heat — a team worthy of having a superstar repping South Beach at all times — need to replace Jimmy Butler. Bam Adebayo is excellent and a star, but not a superstar. Butler was that, even if his regular seasons didn't match his postseasons. He still possesses that superstar power, though.
Morant possesses this power, but in Memphis, his stardom is slowly snuffing out, which is why it's inevitable that a trade will come to fruition somewhere down the road. Rumors have circulated that Miami is an expected trade destination for the electric All-Star, and Morant could be an answer to some of Miami's needs, but is he the answer?
Ja Morant will forever be on Miami's radar until he's unavailable
While the Heat are quite possibly overachieving this season, you can't say they're not having one of their best years in a few. The offseason additions of Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell are getting the job done. As for Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson's favorite NBA star, Adebayo is playing rock-solid.
Miami is clearly missing what they will eventually need, though. They need a superstar because, well, it's Miami — it simply fits that way of life. Morant could bring to the Heat what they don't have, but that doesn't necessarily mean what he has would translate into the right fit.
Heat culture is actually real, so the question is: would Morant bend the knee? There is too much evidence that points to the answer being no, and that's why pursuing Morant would be the risk of all risks. That risk, though, is something Pat Riley may pull the trigger on, even if his finger falters with hesitancy.
The Heat were perennial playoff contenders when Butler ran the show, and he was the catalyst in their two finals runs and conference finals appearances during his tenure there. You could argue that the Heat will never return to either of those spaces without someone who carries the superstar aura that Butler did.
Again, the risk would be astronomical, but is it a risk the Heat must take? The other question is: Is Morant a winning player? No, not right now. Which leads to another question: Could Heat culture transform Morant into a winning player?
If Miami travels down the Ja Morant road, there's no telling what could happen. The fact that they're the main team connected to him shows that Miami knows they lack something significant. Is Morant an answer, or is he the answer?