Pat Riley would grant the Miami Heat fans’ wishes if he were to strike a deal for a superstar player in the next two seasons. There’s one interesting proposed trade for LeBron James that should pique the interest of both fans and the Heat’s front office.
Miami Heat fans are dying for a superstar. Even though it’s been less than a year since the Jimmy Butler saga, he was pretty clearly checked out long before. With the way that ended, the Heat’s fans have a bad taste in their mouths and are dying for the opportunity of relevance again.
LeBron could offer that to the Heat. Add in the fact that LeBron remains one of the most realistic targets for the team, especially with Luka Doncic and De’Aaron Fox signing contract extensions before they could even hit the free-agency market in 2026, and it’s not that outlandish an idea as it seems.
If there’s a natural path toward a LeBron reunion in Miami, I’m sure the fans would embrace it. Interestingly enough, there’s at least one proposed trade that would make a ton of sense for the Heat.
The proposed trade for LeBron James
In this proposed trade by Bleacher Report, the Heat would send Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, Jaime Jaquez Jr., a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2030 first-round pick swap (top 3 protected) to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for LeBron, Bronny James, and Dalton Knecht.
If the Heat were able to pry LeBron away from Los Angeles by only parting ways with one first-round pick and a pick swap, I’m not sure how they’d be able to pass on this idea. LeBron is still playing at a high level and would be an intriguing addition next to Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.
Why LeBron is a viable target
LeBron is the exact type of alpha player that the Heat have desperately missed since Jimmy’s injuries began to become a bigger problem for him over the last few seasons, and LeBron would have a pretty strong supporting cast with two All-Star caliber players in Herro and Bam.
In a much less competitive conference, LeBron heading East for one last shot at a title could also make a ton of sense for him.
Even though I still can’t wrap my head around why LeBron would willingly leave Luka Doncic, if LeBron does want to leave Los Angeles, Miami does check a lot of his boxes – not to mention it’s a landing spot that would also be in the best interest of his son, Bronny.
At the very least, it’s one storyline to keep a close eye on heading into the start of the season. If things do go south in Los Angeles, maybe Riley explores the idea of stepping in?
One thing’s for sure: if this were to happen, it would certainly appease the Heat fan base. Even if it is just for a year or two.
