Why there’s real pressure on Heat to soon make a trade, as focus shifts to Damian Lillard

A real sense of urgency exists for the Miami Heat to upgrade its roster through a trade within the next year, but it’s clear the Heat won’t act out of desperation after falling just three wins short of an NBA championship this past season.

The Heat’s latest attempt to make a move was not successful, as the Washington Wizards ended up trading three-time All-Star guard Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. The Heat made a push for Beal, but the Suns were ultimately more aggressive in pursuing the deal in recent days and acquired him.

With Beal entering the second season of a big five-year, $251 million contract that has him on track to be the sixth-highest paid player in the league next season and his no-trade clause coming with him in any deal, it appears the Heat was only willing to go so far with its offer to the Wizards. Miami’s offer was built around the expiring contract of Kyle Lowry and was believed to include at least one first-round pick.

Suns acquire Heat target Bradley Beal from Washington. Heat hoping Lillard asks for trade

The Heat’s focus now looks to be on seven-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard, who has spent the first 11 seasons of his NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard has not yet publicly asked for a trade, but said during a recent appearance on Showtime’s The Last Stand with Brian Custer that the Heat and Brooklyn Nets would interest him if he does.

With Beal heading to Phoenix and Lillard’s fate still undecided, the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement that goes into effect July 1 puts pressure on the Heat to trade for a star sooner rather than later.

Ideally, the Heat would actually get a deal done by the end of June.

Why?

Under the new CBA, teams in luxury tax territory (known as the first apron) like the Heat can’t take back salaries that exceed 110 percent of what they’re trading out.

But luxury tax teams can take back salaries of as much as 125 percent of what they trade out before July 1.

In other words, the Heat only needs to include at least about $34 million of salaries in a trade for Lillard if it’s completed by the end of June. Starting July 1, the Heat needs to include at least about $41.5 million of salaries in a trade for Lillard.

Although it was previously reported that Lillard could not be traded before July 9, there are actually no trade restrictions for him. He is eligible to be traded this month before the new rules begin at the start of July.

The new CBA imposes even more restrictions on high-spending teams after this upcoming season.

Starting July 1, 2024, luxury tax teams can’t take back more salary in a trade than they send out. And teams above the second apron, which is currently about $17.5 million above the luxury tax threshold, can’t aggregate salaries in a trade.

With the high salaries of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Robinson combining for $132 million in the 2024-25 season, it will be hard for the Heat to avoid the luxury tax and possibly even the second apron during that NBA calendar year. So those punitive trade restrictions could apply to Miami next summer.

In addition, beginning with the 2024-25 season, teams that close the regular season above the second apron will no longer be able to trade their first-round draft pick seven years out. Teams are currently able to trade first-round picks up to seven drafts into the future.

The bottom line is completing a trade will be very hard for luxury-tax teams starting in July 1, 2024, especially for high-salary players like Beal and Lillard, because of restrictions imposed by the new CBA.

The Heat didn’t allow that reality make it desperate in the Beal sweepstakes. Is that because the Heat knows that acquiring Lillard is a real possibility or did Beal’s pricey contract and no-trade clause simply make the Heat hesitant?

The answer to that question may become clearer in the coming days, as Thursday’s draft could help determine Lillard’s future with the Trail Blazers. The belief is that Lillard, 32, would rather the Trail Blazers trade the No. 3 overall pick in this week’s draft to add win-now players to immediately improve the team’s odds of again becoming a contending team in the Western Conference.

If the Trail Blazers keep the No. 3 pick and get younger, will Lillard decide it’s time to take his career elsewhere? Lillard is under contract for the next four years at $216 million.

One thing is for sure, the clock is ticking on the Heat to make a trade. And not just because Miami’s best player, Butler, will be 34 in September.

▪ Heat president Pat Riley will speak to reporters on Tuesday afternoon from Kaseya Center for his “end of season recap media availability.” The last time Riley spoke to the media in a press conference setting was on draft night last June.

Riley is not allowed to comment specifically on Beal or Lillard because they are currently under contract with other teams.