If the Miami Heat is going to make a big midseason move, there's one name, according to Barry Jackson, that seems the most plausible. And it's Zach LaVine.
The speculation of the Heat potentially pursuing deals for Kyrie Irving or Dejounte Murray may sound appealing, but, especially as Jackson notes, they're just not that viable as trade targets for the Heat right now.
At least when it comes to LaVine, there's one plausible scenario in which he could potentially emerge as a realistic option for Miami.
The Zach LaVine to the Heat whispers are starting up again
“If Zach Lavine were to beg out at the end of February and give up $9/10M, maybe you can do that and then give him your Mid Level this offseason...Kyrie that seems unlikely just because you’d have to give up Wiggins to make the math work and why would Dallas want 32 year old Wiggins? Dejounte Murray to me is unrealistic in a trade because he’s got a $31M player option next year.. to me that’s not realistic unless it’s a buyout”
Even so, I'm not sure if LaVine would be willing to surrender upwards of $10 million just to hit free agency a few months early. However, if the Sacramento Kings were open to it, perhaps that's one way the Heat could make a significant low-cost move to upgrade the roster after the NBA Trade Deadline.
Interestingly enough, there were many Heat fans (and some in the media) who were pushing the idea of the Heat acquiring LaVine via the buyout market during the summer (under the assumption that LaVine and the Kings would work toward a buyout).
Clearly, that didn't end up happening this offseason. The question is: has anything happened over the last few months, or will anything pop up in the next couple of months to change that?
Maybe the Kings pivot to a more tanking approach? They are 0-5 to start the year already. If so, maybe LaVine doesn't want to stick around for that during the second half of the season? There are a lot of "ifs" in this scenario, but it's certainly one that the Heat will be keeping tabs on.
Miami may not have the trade assets to pull off a move for Kyrie Irving or the financial flexibility to fit Dejounte Murray easily into their salary cap next season, but if LaVine is able to wiggle out of Sacramento, the Heat could be the perfect fit.
From a basketball perspective, LaVine could be the exact perimeter scorer that the Heat is lacking. At the right price and in the right scenario, a LaVine-to-the-Heat move may not seem as unrealistic as it did a few months ago.
Maybe the stars align this time for the Heat, unlike they did during the offseason.
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