Should The Miami Heat Pursue Kyrie Irving?

The Miami Heat had a big offseason, adding Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, as part of that trade, the Heat parted with four players and also lost All-Star guard Norman Powell to the Chicago Bulls in free agency. Despite making the big franchise-swinging move by getting Antetokounmpo, there have been concerns about the team's lack of depth. The Heat made a lot of stop-gap veteran moves to fill holes on the bench for the upcoming season but there is a name floating around in trade rumors who would be a phenomenal acquisition for Miami.

Kyrie Irving has been included in trade discussions throughout the entire offseason and the Heat could be a destination even after all of their offseason acquisitions. A trade for Irving would most likely include Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic as the two main outgoing pieces. It may not make too much sense at the moment for Miami to make a move for Irving but if the Mavericks are off to a poor start this campaign, Irving will more likely than not be added to the trade block and will be moved prior to February's deadline.

The Mavericks were one of the worst teams in the NBA in their first full season after trading Luka Doncic. However, their No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg, won the Rookie of the Year award and it seems their rebuild is off to a great start. The team traded Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards at the deadline, waived Klay Thompson before he joined Miami and still have 34-year-old Irving on the roster. While Irving is a phenomenal player, it doesn't make total sense for him to remain on the roster given the youth of the team.

For the Heat, adding a veteran like Irving could go a long way in securing the strength of the backcourt. Davion Mitchell has turned into a very dependable player but can he be the starting point guard of a true contending team? That's a question Pat Riley and the front office may need to consider.

The Heat's backcourt has been out of sorts for the past few seasons and despite Irving recovering from his ACL injury, he would immediately become the best guard this team has had in quite some time. He is under contract through this season with a player option for the 2027-28 season. Irving, Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo would be the best "Big Three" in the NBA and that trio would be integral in Miami becoming a real a contender in the Eastern Conference once again.

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