Getty Image / Jason Miller
Over the past few days, the Miami Heat have repeatedly been linked to a move for Bradley Beal.
The move would make a lot of sense for the Heat.
They are coming off of their 2nd NBA Finals appearance in the last 4 seasons, but in both of those Finals appearances and in their Eastern Conference Finals loss last year, they were clearly outgunned.
That has them looking to bring in another star this offseason to finally put them over the top.
While Beal is the star that they’ve been getting linked to, it turns out there is a bigger star that they would actually prefer to land.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Heat’s preferred star to trade for this offseason is actually Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard.
New piece on a rapidly evolving trade market and why the Wizards need a Bradley Beal deal ASAP: https://t.co/tjE0XmA0Dv
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 17, 2023
Landing Lillard would definitely be a bigger move for the Heat.
Lillard is coming off of a season where he averaged 32.2 points and 7.3 assists per game and has been one of the NBA’s best guards for years when he’s been healthy.
He would give a team that was last in the league in scoring last season a truly lethal scoring option to play alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
There are just a couple of issues. The first is that Lillard’s health has been a concern the past few years. He has played just 87 games over the past 2 seasons and will be 33 next month.
The other is that the Portland Trail Blazers don’t actually seem all that interested in trading Damian Lillard. They instead appear to be ready to deal the 3rd pick in this year’s draft to try and get another star for their own contention efforts.
Maybe the Miami Heat will be able to put together a package to entice the Blazers to make a move, but right now it seems like Beal might be the only star they can actually land this offseason.