Opinion: The Miami Heat Need To Trade For This Superstar

The Miami Heat lost in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Boston Celtics on Sunday night in Florida. The Celtics are now going to face off with Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. I believe that the Heat should try to make a trade for Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard.

On Sunday night, the Miami Heat had their 2021-22 season come to an end when they lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Boston Celtics by a score of 100-96.  

Warriors vs. Celtics

The 2022 NBA Finals is set 😤 pic.twitter.com/zSzAhTJ8Oh

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 30, 2022

The series had been a total back and forth as the Heat had a 2-1 lead, then the Celtics won two straight games to take a 3-2 lead. 

to make it official ...

Most points in a playoff win, facing elimination, on road:

50: Wilt Chamberlain, PHL at BOS, 1960
47: Jimmy Butler, MIA at BOS, 2022
46: Jayson Tatum, BOS at MIL, 2022
45: LeBron James, MIA at BOS, 2012
45: Kawhi Leonard, LAC at DAL, 2021

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) May 28, 2022

In Game 6, the Heat won as massive road underdogs to take the series to a Game 7 back in Florida. 

The Celtics are now headed to the NBA Finals to face off with Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriros for the title. 

The Heat made the NBA Finals in 2020, and they are right on the cusp of being a true contender to win a title. 

Facing elimination, Jimmy Butler left it ALL on the court in the ECF ⚡

𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆 6: 47 PTS, 9 REB, 8 AST, 16-29 FG
𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆 7: 35 PTS, 9 REB, 13-24 FG

He played all but two minutes in the final two games. pic.twitter.com/FfakS4r6p8

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 30, 2022

I believe that they need to make a trade for a second star to help out Jimmy Butler, and I think that Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard could be a good fit. 

Why Lillard? 

The former sixth overall pick has been one of the best players in the entire NBA over the last six years, but he has never truly had a contending roster around him. 

Two years ago today, Damian Lillard sent the Thunder packing after this epic game winner over Paul George 😤 pic.twitter.com/6eryBMgpD2

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 23, 2021

He played with C.J. McCollum for nearly a decade, but the two only got to the Conference Finals one time. 

Luka Doncic & Jalen Brunson are the 2nd pair of starting guards to each score 20 points in the 1st half of a playoff game in the last 25 seasons.

The other backcourt to do this was Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in 2017, also at the Warriors. pic.twitter.com/BQJbLafU79

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 21, 2022

With the Heat, Butler is a better player than McCollum (and maybe even better than Lillard), so that would be the best player he has ever played with. 

In addition, the Trail Blazers never had a true big-man that was a star, and Bam Adebayo is an All-Star caliber player. 

This summer, I think that the Heat and Trail Blazers should look into a move that could be beneficial for both sides.