Zach LaVine and the Miami Heat have been a tempting match on paper, but that idea took a major hit with the latest reporting out of Sacramento.
Kings reporter Jason Anderson said Sacramento has no interest in arranging a buyout for LaVine if he isn’t traded before the season starts. That matters because over the past week there had been whispers that a buyout could open the door for Miami.
Instead, that path now appears closed. Unless the Heat are willing to trade for LaVine’s bloated contract - and they may not even be able to make that work financially - the notion of LaVine landing in Miami has effectively gone away.
It’s easy to see why the fit had people talking. Put LaVine next to Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the appeal jumps off the page.
He brings more playmaking than he usually gets credit for, he’s been a reliably above-average 3-point shooter, and a change of scenery could help him at this stage of his career. On paper, it looked like one of those neat little offseason pairings that could help both sides.
But paper doesn’t move the roster, and right now this doesn’t look like a real Heat option.
That leaves Miami back where it’s been for a while: still trying to finish the job on its roster. With training camp getting closer, the Heat need to add more bodies, and at minimum they still have to sign two more players over the next few weeks. They’ve been connected to several free agents recently, but the front office hasn’t rushed into any final calls.
That hesitation makes the bigger picture a little murky. Are the Heat waiting on another trade scenario?
Holding out for a possible Klay Thompson buyout? Or keeping an eye on someone else entirely?
For now, the only thing that’s clear is this: Zach LaVine is not a realistic target for Miami anymore.
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