It seems like the Miami Heat are going to make a pretty big move sometime this summer. They’re reportedly keeping an eye on stars who might request trades this offseason, and NBA insider Brian Windhorst said that he expects a “meaningful” upgrade of the team’s roster to occur.
“The Heat are in the thick of this and I expect them to emerge from this summer having upgraded their roster in a meaningful way at the end of it.”
– Brian Windhorst on the Heat potentially landing Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard
(Via ESPN / h/t Forbes) pic.twitter.com/OPQTgcBDzj
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 15, 2023
Miami has been heavily linked to star guards Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard recently, with trade rumors about the two talented scorers constantly popping up.
While it seems like Lillard might wind up staying put with the Portland Trail Blazers, there appears to be a very good chance that Beal departs the Washington Wizards this offseason.
It was reported on Wednesday that the Heat are expected to be prominent suitors for Beal if he ends up becoming available. With new team president Michael Winger leading the franchise, the Wizards could decide to blow things up and start a full rebuild by trading Beal.
It’s important to note that there is apparently a pathway for the Heat to land both Lillard and Beal. Acquiring those two players would undoubtedly make the Heat one of the top contenders in the entire league.
The Heat are coming off a 2022-23 season in which they had plenty of ups and downs. They were minutes away from being eliminated in the play-in tournament by the Chicago Bulls. After squeaking by in that game, Miami went on a spectacular playoff run by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.
Unfortunately for Miami, its run came to a screeching halt in the 2023 NBA Finals against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. Denver’s chemistry, defense and scoring proved to be a little too much for Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and company.
The series lasted only five games, with Miami losing both of its home games in the battle. During the series, it became clear that the Heat seem to be just a top-tier scorer away from winning their first title since 2013.
It will be interesting to see what Pat Riley and the rest of the Heat’s front office are able to accomplish this offseason.
