3 Stars the Heat nearly traded for that could have led to a championship

All things considered, Jimmy Butler’s arrival in South Florida brought a lot of success to the Miami Heat franchise. They made two NBA Finals appearances and came close to a third, all in the span of five years. They did so by being serious underdogs, as those Finals saw the Heat finish as high as fifth and eighth in the Eastern Conference.

While Miami’s playoff performance was impressive, they fell short of their ultimate goal. Heat fans will never forget those playoff memories, but the fact that they failed to get the job done is painful.

That being said, it is clear that this team was missing one more key element to allow it to take the next step.

With salary cap restrictions, the Heat management has relied on health and internal growth to improve year after year. They like this team a lot and have made it known by regularly bringing in their core and giving them a better chance at winning that elusive title. The problem is that this group is likely to run out of time as Butler approaches his 35th birthday.

That doesn’t mean Pat Riley and his teammates haven’t had the opportunity to look to the outside market for help and new stars. Here are the three players who have been linked to the Heat in trade rumors that could have led to the long-awaited championship.

In 2022 and 2024, current Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was linked to the Heat in trade rumors. First, and more realistically, Mitchell was looking to move on from the Utah Jazz in the summer of 2022. His run in Salt Lake City peaked after being drafted there years prior.

The offseason footage of him working out with Bam Adebayo often had Heat fans salivating at the idea of ​​a Heat-Mitchell pairing. Once Mitchell became available on the trade market, there was mutual interest. But nothing ultimately came of it and he was sent to the Cavs.

Last season, Mitchell was on the verge of a contract extension. It was widely speculated that if he did not sign with Cleveland, he would soon be on the trade market for the second time in two years. Reports again mentioned Mitchell’s interest in playing in Miami if he did not sign a contract extension with Cleveland.

That pipe dream quickly faded once again, when he struck a deal with a lucrative new contact he couldn’t pass up.