Former NBA center and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins had an interesting take on what the Miami Heat should do with their current roster.
Following Miami falling behind against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, Perkins reportedly said that the Heat should consider trading Jimmy Butler.
“After the Heat fell behind 3-2 against Boston, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins shockingly said the Heat should consider trading Jimmy Butler and rebuild, asserting Miami will never win a title with this core,” the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson wrote.
Perkins is known for giving hot takes, but this one is something to behold. The Heat have made the NBA Finals once in three years with Butler leading the way, and they were a game away from another appearance this season.
The Heat have been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference ever since signing Butler, yet Perkins thinks the team is better off rebuilding from the ground up.
It’s highly unlikely that Miami tears down its current core of Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry, but there could be some changes this coming offseason.
The Heat have a few impending free agents such as Victor Oladipo and Dewayne Dedmon, and they may want to shake up some of the roster after falling short in the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, Butler was absolutely fantastic in the playoffs and nearly led the team to a Game 7 win in Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Butler’s presence alone has made Miami a force to reckoned with in the East, so Perkins’ assessment of the team’s future doesn’t make much sense unless the Heat were content with losing for the next few seasons.
