It’s not a secret that the Miami Heat have been trying to get Damian Lillard for quite a while. But the Portland Trail Blazers aren’t interested in whatever they have to offer.
The clock is ticking, and Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra know they need another star if they want to compete at the highest level. Notably, there aren’t that many options available right now.
With that in mind, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report believes they could make a run at Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving, assuming Mark Cuban’s team gets tired of his availability issues.
Heat Could Pursue Kyrie Irving
(via Bleacher Report)
“The Trade: Irving to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin and Nikola Jović
Dallas’ decision to re-sign Irving this offseason was as much about retaining an asset as it was keeping the high-scoring guard around.
After losing Jalen Brunson for nothing the previous summer, the Mavs couldn’t afford to let go of another impact guard. But keeping Irving won’t necessarily cure what ails this team, which went just 9-18 after he debuted.
Dallas struggled with depth this past season, and while it added a few rotation players over the offseason, it might not still have enough to ascend in the West.
This deal could give Luka Dončić a capable co-star in Herro (a 20-point scorer each of the past two seasons), plus a three-and-D wing in Martin. Jović is a wild card, but he’s a 6’10” combo forward who can score and create.
Because of Irving’s availability issues, few teams might view him as a positive asset at this point, but Miami could see him as a suitable alternative if its Damian Lillard pursuit doesn’t pan out.”
see also
Kyrie Irving reveals why he never played for Australia
Of course, that will only happen if the Heat get tired of waiting for Lillard, and if Kyrie starts doing… Kyrie things within the organization, so maybe this is a bit of a long shot.
