Windhorst: Heat 'Keeping an Eye' on Star Players to Make a Trade in NBA Free Agency

After losing in the NBA Finals twice in the past four seasons, the Miami Heat may be one of the most interesting teams to watch this offseason as they explore options to upgrade their roster.

On the latest episode of The Hoop Collective Podcast (starts at 26:05 mark), ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted the Heat are "keeping an eye" on star players who might seek a trade from their current organization:

"They have draft picks at their disposal, and they potentially have tradeable contracts, and I think they're going to go hunting for a star. I don't know if they'll get one, I don't know if it'll all break their way. There's other teams out there interested in it, and I'm not going to sit here and tell you who it is because I'll get aggregated, but there are players they're keeping an eye on and they have the ability to do it, especially of a player says, 'Hey, send me to Miami.' And they have a little window here before the second apron kicks in where they may be able to spend a little money. They have some draft picks they can trade. After the draft they can access their 2030 pick. They have the 18th pick in this draft, not that that's super interesting. I don't think they can beat all comers on a star trade but if a player says, 'Send me to Miami' in the next two weeks, they are not in the worst position of all time to make it."

Any discussion about a star player being traded will likely start with Damian Lillard. The 32-year-old told Brian Custer on Showtime's The Last Stand the Heat are a team he would hypothetically consider playing for.

"Miami, obviously," Lillard said. "Miami is the obvious one. Bam (Adebayo) is my dog for real."

All indications from the Portland Trail Blazers since their season ended on April 9 is they intend to keep Lillard and attempt to build a playoff-caliber roster around him for 2023-24.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported last week the Blazers front office has "genuine" interest building around Lillard.

Jaylen Brown, Trae Young, Jordan Poole and Bradley Beal are among the other notable names who could be on the trade block this summer.

If the Heat do attempt to make a marquee trade, Tyler Herro could be the most likely player to be moved. His four-year, $120 million extension signed in October kicks in with the 2023-24 season.

Miami made its run to the NBA Finals this postseason without Herro most of the way. The 23-year-old suffered a broken hand in Game 1 of the first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks. He was available for Monday's Game 5 against the Denver Nuggets but didn't get in the contest.

Herro averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 67 starts this season. He is a 38.3 percent shooter from three-point range in his four-year NBA career.

The Heat became the second No. 8 seed ever to reach the NBA Finals before losing to the Nuggets in five games. They have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the past four years, with two trips to the Finals during that span.