Miami Heat
If there is one thing we can always count on with Heat President of Basketball Operations, Pat Riley, it is that he is always looking for ways to add All-Star level talent to his roster in order to compete for championships. This season, fresh off their trip to the NBA Finals where they fell to the Lakers 4-2, the Heat have started off pretty shaky.
They are 4-5 so far this season and while it is early on, their lack of all-around production is definitely a cause for concern. The Heat basically returns everyone from last year’s Eastern Conference Championship team besides Jae Crowder and Derrick Jones Jr. but they have been a very average offensive team.
Victor Oladipo to the Heat trade rumors have been going on long before the season began and even though he was just traded to the Rockets, he could be there just for a matter of weeks. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reports that Houston could still flip Oladipo as he still hopes to find his way to Miami.
This would be a major addition for the Miami Heat in their efforts to get back to the NBA Finals because it gives them a solidified offensive talent. Jimmy Butler, when fully healthy, is the only reliable scorer on this team and while Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo all have their moments, they are still young players who are growing.
Jimmy Butler and Victor Oladipo together on the wing with shooters like Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson would make this Heat team extremely efficient and one of the better passing teams in the league. Their style of play would be virtually unguardable since they can kick the ball out for three-pointers, they could beat their opponents off-the-drive, or they could find the big man Adebayo underneath for an easy dunk.
The only question is what the Heat would have to give up in return for Oladipo. Houston would definitely want a decent sized trade package for the former All-Star player, which could mean they would want young talents such as Tyler Herro and/or Kendrick Nunn, plus some first-round picks.
With Brooklyn having a three-headed monster in KD, Kyrie and Harden now, the Heat need to make a move to catch-up to them and have a chance at defending their Conference Championship, which is why trading for Oladipo may be a given for Miami.
