LaMelo Ball is one of the best young guards in the NBA. With the Charlotte Hornets, Ball was named Rookie of the Year in 2021 and earned an All-Star nod in 2022. However, given the fact Charlotte is one of the few teams who seem to be in a constant rut, it may be time for the two to go to their separate ways. Ball is reportedly open to leaving Charlotte.
Bleacher Report named four teams who would be good fits to acquire the star. The Miami Heat are one of those destinations.
"No, NBA media outlets are not contractually obligated to mention the Miami Heat every time a star potentially becomes available," the article wrote. "They just come up often because the organization has so often gone star-hunting. And in this case, the star would fit pretty well. They have one of the league's best bigs in Bam Adebayo. And while pairing him with Tyler Herro theoretically gives Miami a strong inside-out duo, the Heat have typically been worse with Herro on the floor in the playoffs. Whether Herro would be in the deal or not, adding Ball to lineups with Adebayo would give the big man a playmaker who thinks pass more often (even if Ball isn't a traditional pass-first 1). Those two could instantly be one of the league's more dangerous pick-and-roll combos, and Miami could make an aggressive offer with picks, plenty of outgoing salary and a young talent such as Nikola Jovic."
There is no doubt Ball would improve the backcourt scoring in Miami. Outside of Tyler Herro, the backcourt has been the biggest issue with the Heat over the past couple of seasons. However, offseason acquisition Norman Powell seems to be the type of player who has improved the scoring woes. A trade for Ball would not be cheap and could cost multiple draft picks along with player assets.
"Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jović and a lottery-protected 2030 first-round pick for LaMelo Ball... or similar configurations with Tyler Herro or even Terry Rozier as the big outgoing salary," the article added. "Obviously, swapping those players in for Wiggins would change the kind of draft capital going back to Charlotte. Better value would have to be attached to Rozier. If it was Herro and Jović, Miami might insist on sending no picks at all."
Herro is the x-factor in a potential trade. While Herro is viewed as a franchise-level player in Miami, he still has not been extended amidst his injury recovery. If Miami wants to secure a healthy, younger player under contract, they could opt to part with Herro along with other compensation for Ball.