- Report: Heat began talking to Timberwolves about possible Kyle Lowry-D’Angelo Russell trade in December
- Shaquille O’Neal leaves Bam Adebayo off of his All-Star reserve ballot
- NBA executives believe the Miami Heat may not be willing to part with Caleb Martin for Cam Reddish
- Report: Miami Heat not willing to offer Caleb Martin to Phoenix Suns for Jae Crowder
- Report: Miami Heat interested in adding help at guard
- Report: Heat, Suns, Mavericks and Clippers interested in D’Angelo Russell
- Bam Adebayo slams All-Star voting: ‘There are guys that shouldn’t even be on that list’
- Pat Riley says he still roots for LeBron James
- Report: Miami Heat expected to show ‘some interest’ in Josh Hart
- Report: Los Angeles Clippers have ‘some interest’ in Kyle Lowry
Stephen A. Smith says Lakers should call Heat to trade LeBron James for players like Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo
- Updated: May 4, 2022
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith thinks that the Los Angeles Lakers should trade superstar LeBron James, and he claimed that the Miami Heat would be one of the first teams that he would call for a potential deal.
“I’m calling Miami because they’ve got some – you talk about Bam Adebayo, Tyler Hero, they’ve got some young talent,” Smith said. “I’m calling them.”
Even though Smith thinks the Lakers should trade James, citing the fact that he doesn’t have a no-trade clause, it still seems highly unlikely that the team moves on from the four-time NBA champion.
James and the Lakers missed the playoffs in the 2021-22 season, and while James had a fantastic season, it doesn’t make sense for Miami to trade some of its young stars for an aging James.
The Heat earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, and they have a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers.
As great as James was for the Heat earlier in his career, taking them to four straight NBA Finals and winning two, Miami has built a solid roster around Jimmy Butler, Adebayo and Herro.
The team would be better off trying to lure James back to Miami after the 2022-23 season in free agency rather than trading young assets to bring him in on the final year of his contract.
During the 2021-22 season, James averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from beyond the arc.
He is still one of the best players in the NBA, but Smith’s scenario may be a little too far-fetched for the Heat to consider.
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