The rumors surrounding the Miami Heat and former MVP Russell Westbrook continue to swirl.
On Wednesday, it was reported by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that the Heat are trying to find a way to land the Oklahoma City Thunder star without parting ways with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
“The Heat and Thunder have been discussing potential combinations of players, and those specifics remain unknown,” he wrote. “But indications are the Heat would prefer not to include Bam Adebayo or Herro. This trade would be highly appealing to the Heat if Miami can merely shed contracts of players not in its longterm plans, but it’s questionable if the Thunder would go for that.”
While it may seem that a deal without at least one of these two promising young players would be hard to come by, Jackson indicated that the Heat might currently be in the driver’s seat when it comes to naming a price for Westbrook.
“The Heat has been uncertain whether there are other Westbrook suitors; none have surfaced publicly,” wrote Jackson.
The Heat would be wise to try to hold onto both Adebayo and Herro.
Individuals both within and outside of the Heat organization believe that Adebayo is on the verge of a breakout season. As for Herro, he has dazzled at Summer League as of late, with many claiming that he has been the best player in the entire tournament thus far.
If Miami is able to acquire Westbrook and hold onto the vast majority of its young core, there is little doubt that it would be considered a serious contender in the Eastern Conference.