The reigning Eastern Conference champions are off to a shaky start. Although they defeated the Wizards in the opening game of the new tournament, they have since suffered multiple consecutive defeats and have a negative record (2-4). There are reasons to worry if they will be able to repeat their postseason success from last year.
Back in the summer, the top target for the Florida franchise had a first and last name: Damian Lillard. The 7-time NBA All-Star’s services were a key priority. The point guard voiced a strong desire to play alongside his pal Bam Adebayo, even demanding a move to Miami. Pat Riley, on the other hand, chose to go to one of his conference’s fiercest rivals, the Milwaukee Bucks. Blazers general manager Joe Cronin has no intention of granting the player’s request. To make matters worse, Miami explored bidding for Jrue Holiday, who was traded to Portland as part of the Lillard deal, but he has since joined the Boston Celtics in a deal that also included Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III.
Tyler Herro, a young guard, has been engaged in almost every trade speculation in the last four years for most of the stars on Riley’s radar, not just Lillard. Stars like James Harden, Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell, and Bradley Beal join ‘Dame’ on a list of names that have been discussed by Miami management.
Tyler Herro went undetected during the regular season, lowering his market worth. The anticipated leap from his fourth season did not occur, and his progress appeared to have halted. At the same time, the point guard suffered a fracture in his right hand during Game 1 of the playoffs at Milwaukee. He was supposed to be able to play in the championship game against the Denver Nuggets, but that did not happen. Herro will be a valuable asset to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra this season. After another summer with no major additions, Spoelstra may have found the third star he seeks.
