The Miami Heat were eliminated from the postseason following a first-round sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The humbling loss is expected to spur Pat Riley into making multiple moves over the summer.
On May 15, during a Bleacher Report live stream, Rob Perez floated the idea of the Heat striking a deal with the Cavaliers. The trade would improve Miami’s wing defense and floor spacing. The proposed deal would look like this:
Miami Heat Get: De’Andre Hunter
Cleveland Cavaliers Get: Duncan Robinson, a protected first-round pick and two future second-round picks.
Pairing Hunter with Andrew Wiggins would give Miami a versatile defensive wing duo. Furthermore, both are capable of getting hot from deep, while Wiggins’ ability to pressure the rim also can’t be overlooked.
Heat Among Top Kevin Durant Suitors
While Hunter is a logical name for the Heat to target, Riley will undoubtedly be targeting a star. Marc Stein recently reported that Miami is among the teams most frequently being discussed as a suitor for Kevin Durant.
“The Heat are frequently forecasted as a team, along with Minnesota, expected to show trade interest this offseason in Phoenix’s Kevin Durant,” Stein wrote in his SteinLine Newsletter. “What sort of clues Riley drops clues about his team-building approach in the wake of a 37-45 campaign and painful first-round playoff sweep inflicted by Cleveland will be of prime interest.”
Durant is the type of star name that Riley will want to focus his re-tooling efforts around. And while Durant is an aging star, he’s still capable of leading a championship push if surrounded with the right pieces.
Riley is Open to Adding an Aging Star
During a recent news conference, Riley admitted that he sees no problem in trading for an aging star under the right circumstances.
“I think an aging great player, who may not be able to carry a team together, can rise to the occasion in the playoffs,” Riley said. “…I still think that an aging player can play. Look at LeBron [James]. I mean, look at these players. It’s incredible. Players like LeBron and others who have played into their mid to late 30s and produced at a high level can help teams win championships. You have to pick out the right one, but I’m not against that, no.”
Even if the Heat do acquire Durant, they will still need to bring in other new faces. The roster is in need of a significant overhaul. Adding a star must be the first step, not the only one.
Otherwise, Riley is doing nothing more than glossing over the problem. Small moves like adding Hunter could be the perfect way to round out the roster. That is, assuming the Heat still have tradable assets left after they go star hunting.
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