Buddy Hield Could Be An Alternative For The Miami Heat If Damian Lillard Falls Through

With other teams making it difficult for the Heat to acquire Lillard, they might look towards Hield

Now that numerous teams are starting to show interest in Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, the Miami Heat might have trouble acquiring the seven-time All-star.

With guard Buddy Hield entering the last year of his four-year contract with the Indiana Pacers, he started entering trade talks. With the predicament the Heat are facing, they should take advantage and use this as an alternative.

Sure, in a perfect world, they would want to sign Lillard. He’s already formed friendships with multiple Heat players and his talent is widely better. But if it doesn’t work out, Hield wouldn’t be a bad acquisition.

Last season, the Heat were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams as they shot 34 percent. Because of Tyler Herro’s inconsistency and the loss of Max Strus and Gabe Vincent, they desperately need to improve their 3-point shooting.

Hield has made a career off of being one of the NBA’s most elite 3-point shooters. He shoots 40 percent on seven 3-point attempts per game. The only downside to adding Hield is his lack of defense, another trait the Heat need to improve.

Because the Pacers missed the playoffs last season, they are looking to improve their roster and potentially become contenders. But just like the situation with Lillard, the Heat do lack the assets needed. Despite his unpredictable shooting, the best asset the Heat can offer is Herro.

If the season started today, Herro would be the Heat’s starting point guard. Hield would be easy to plug into that spot, giving the Heat a decent backcourt with him and Josh Richardson.

But this is just a scenario if the Lillard trade falls through.

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Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog HERE.