According to the Miami Herald, the Miami Heat have "zero interest" in trading for James Harden. This comes after the Heat failed to trade for Damian Lillard disappointing media and fans alike.
It doesn't really make sense to give up assets, like Tyler Herro or Kyle Lowry, for a player who is destined to either leave in a season or be put on an extremely bad contract in a year.
Especially for a team that had luxury tax concerns when they thought about trading for Bradley Beal, trading for a player with worse long-term prospects wouldn't work
While they could make a panic move for Jrue Holiday, it seems like the Heat will stand pat with the roster that took them to the finals. Still, it should be noted that at one point in time this offseason the Heat did seem to have interest in Harden. Now they don't.
Are the Heat smart for not overreaching or should they reignite their interest in James Harden?
The Miami Heat were able to get the most out of their group last season when they made the NBA Finals as the No. 8 seed. Caleb Martin played amazingly in the playoffs last season but his production is not sustainable. Gabe Vincent also had a strong postseason but left for sunny LA and will most likely regress from last season with the Lakers.
It would not be surprising for the Heat to be in contention for a trip back to the Finals but it will require them getting the most out of their talent. If they had traded for Lillard, the Heat would have been outright favorites.
Post-Lillard, Miami should look for a player who has proven himself in the playoffs. This was the thing that they were missing last season. If they are able to fix that before the playoffs and make sure Herro isn't mad about the trade rumors, they will be in discussion to win the East with the Bucks, Celtics, and Knicks.
