The Miami Heat’s star trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro seems likely to remain intact through the upcoming trade deadline, as one team insider sees it.
The Heat struck a deal with the Charlotte Hornets last month for veteran guard Terry Rozier. It’s not too late for Miami to make another trade, but if that happens, it likely won’t involve any members of the squad’s Big 3.
“If the Heat’s self-described ‘Big Three’ is broken up at some point, it seems unlikely to happen before Thursday’s trade deadline, barring something unforeseen,” wrote Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
At 27-24 on the season, the Heat currently hold the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference. They have been inconsistent in recent weeks, as they struggled through a seven-game losing streak at one point but have now won three of their last four games.
Butler, Adebayo and Herro have helped the Heat put together some impressive playoff runs during their time as a trio, and they’re looking to do so again this season. Of course, the core is still trying to accomplish the ultimate goal of bringing an NBA title back to South Florida, something that hasn’t been done since 2013.
If the drought lasts much longer, the Heat may feel a need to take a closer look at the viability of their core, but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen during the middle of the 2023-24 season.
Even though Miami is merely in play-in territory right now, the team showed last season that it’s capable of doing damage in the playoffs no matter how it gets there. The Heat went from a play-in team to an NBA Finals team in 2023.
They may be exploring the possibility of trading away fifth-year wing Caleb Martin, so that’s an avenue that may be worth keeping an eye on. The deadline is set for Thursday, leaving teams with a limited amount of time to get deals done.
In the meantime, Miami will be in action on Wednesday for a home game against the San Antonio Spurs. At 10-40, the Spurs have struggled to find the win column this season, so the Heat will look to take advantage and grab a victory to continue moving in the right direction.
