While the Miami Heat prepares to face the Boston Celtics in the first round, the front office has started developing a strategy for next season. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Heat could look to trade for a star this summer.
"Miami is always in a great position," Wojnarowski said. "Especially if it's players with not a lot left on their contract, one year or two years, and they tell their team 'I want a trade to the Heat, and if you don't send me to the Heat, I'm going to become a free agent and go somewhere else...' Now, teams can still decide to send you where they want to send you. But it's always an advantage for Miami. Players want to be a part of that organization. So I think Miami will be in a position again, use the assets they have, to go out and get another All-Star level player that maybe connects more on the timeline of Bam Adebayo and his age."
The Heat have tried to trade for a star the past two offseasons but were unsuccessful. However, according to Woj, there is reason to believe that this summer could be different. He also notes that in particular, the Heat would be interested in a star that fits the timeline of Bam Adebayo, who is 26 years old. Here are some stars that could become available this summer that the Heat would be interested in pairing with Bam.
The Miami Heat are expected to go star hunting again this summer. They are interested in someone who fits Bam Adebayo's timeline. Who could that be?
Donovan Mitchell
The Miami Heat have been linked to Donovan Mitchell before. They were unsuccessful in their pursuit of Mitchell two summers ago. Instead of being traded to Miami, he ended up in Cleveland. According to Josh Robbins and Sam Amick of the Athletic, the trade market is already developing for Mitchell this summer. His availability will likely depend on how the Cavs perform in the postseason.
Donovan Mitchell is 27 years old with plenty of playoff experience. However, one thing he hasn’t accomplished yet is making a Conference Finals appearance. Pairing him with Adebayo in Miami could fix that, as the team has reached the Conference Finals in four of the last five seasons.
Mitchell is probably the best star that could become available this offseason. His scoring ability is unmatched by anyone currently on the Heat roster. Although there have been injuries, it still looks like the key to helping Miami get over the hump is to solve their offensive problems.
There are often times in games where Miami will go several minutes without scoring. Mitchell could solve that problem with his streaky 3-point shooting and ability to attack the basket. His defense is questionable, but pairing him with Bam Adebayo under Heat coaching should cover some of those struggles.