Even “The Truth” had to question this one.
With the Heat reportedly staying in the mix to potentially land Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard in a trade, Hall of Famer Paul Pierce does not believe that acquiring the guard would put Miami in a better position to win an NBA title than they had during the 2022-23 campaign, but instead, the deal would make them worse.
“You put [Lillard, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo] together, they won’t make it out of the first round [of the playoffs],” Pierce shockingly said on “What’s Burnin’” with Rachel Nichols on Showtime Basketball.
“You’ve gotta understand how they got to the championship. A lot of this had to do with their depth and guys playing way above their pay grade. Caleb [Martin]… averaging 20 points on Boston, we ain’t never seen that from them. Then you had Duncan Robinson. So if you get Dame, they’re gone! You’re gonna have to gut that team out.”
Though Pierce notes interesting points on the lack of depth that the Heat would almost certainly face in any Lillard trade, not making it out of the first round still is a bold take.
If the Heat were to lose either Tyler Herro or Duncan Robinson in a trade, it certainly would be a blow to the club.
But in potentially trading for the 32-year-old Lillard, they adding gaining an all-world talent to a team that reached the NBA Finals this past year.
Lillard, a seven-time All-NBA selection, is coming off his best season as a pro, averaging 32.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game.
He was named an All-NBA Third Team pick for his efforts.
Adding Lillard to a core of Butler, along with Bam Adebayo, who is coming off his second All-Star appearance and after averaging a career-high 20.4 points per game, likely would make Miami one of the most dangerous teams in the league.
Depth will be something the team will have to address, but if they could surround LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade with good players to win two NBA titles, there’s little doubt that Pat Riley and company wouldn’t be able to do it again.
