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The Miami Heat were defeated by the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals in five games. Miami enjoyed a magical postseason run before falling short in the championship. The Heat still have a bright future, but would benefit from making roster upgrades during the offseason. Adding key depth will be important, but pursuing superstar Kyrie Irving would change the dynamic of the franchise.
The thought of Miami trying to add Irving may seem difficult to believe. However, a recent report stated that the Heat made a trade offer to the Brooklyn Nets before Irving was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks this past season. So should Miami attempt to sign Irving during the offseason?
Here are three reasons a Heat-Kyrie Irving pursuit makes sense.
Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyrie Irving Big 3
Forming a true big three is important in the NBA. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. However, it always gives a team a chance to win, the question is whether or not the players can develop chemistry with one another.
Taking a chance on Kyrie Irving would be risky since he's obviously had his share of drama over the years. The good news for the Heat is that they've mostly stayed drama-free with their current roster. As a result, this situation could be good for Irving.
Forming a big three of Irving, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo would instantly make the Heat contenders to repeat as Eastern Conference champions. Trading for Damian Lillard remains a possibility as well, but Irving's upside may push the Heat to pursue him during the offseason.
Heat need a star guard
Jimmy Butler took the ball up the court far too often in the NBA Finals. He played no shortage of minutes during the postseason, dealt with an injury, and was still expected to help with guard duties despite not even being a point guard.
Kyrie Irving would give the Heat a true point guard who they can rely on. Kyle Lowry spent most of his time in the NBA Finals coming off the bench and helping with the second unit. When he was on the court with Butler, Jimmy still was often the play initiator.
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Irving is a ball-dominant guard which could help both Butler and Adebayo, as well as the rest of the team. Irving's playmaking ability would lead to open shots for players on the roster.
Most competitive teams around the NBA have a true point guard, and often times those point guards happen to be stars. This is just another reason why Kyrie Irving makes sense for Miami.
Offensive prowess
The Heat narrowly snuck into the NBA playoffs despite dealing with offensive question marks. Jimmy Butler found his rhythm early in the postseason and carried the offense. When he began to struggle late in the playoffs and in the NBA Finals, however, the Heat's offense looked lost at times.
Caleb Martin stepped up in the Eastern Conference Finals, Kyle Lowry and Gabe Vincent enjoyed some strong moments, and Bam Adebayo consistently put in work in the post. Nevertheless, they proved to be no match for the Nuggets in the championship.
Kyrie Irving is not just a dynamic scorer, but he performs well in clutch situations. He's no stranger to hitting big shots with the game on the line. His all-around offensive prowess would be crucial for a Heat team that needs to improve their scoring consistency.
It won't be easy for the Heat to simply add Kyrie Irving. However, they should at least try to pursue him.
