NBA Trade Rumors: Miami Heat should be willing to gamble on Kyrie Irving

NBA Trade Rumors: The Miami Heat should be willing to take a calculated gamble on Kyrie Irving. 

After falling one game short of a second NBA Finals appearance in three years, the last thing that the Miami Heat should be willing to do this offseason is to take a significant step back. Yet, through the first part of the offseason, that seems like what will end up happening.

Unless, the Heat is able to pull off a huge move. Perhaps one that would qualify as taking a gamble.

If the Heat is all-in on winning, there is one move out there that the team should be willing to take that perhaps they’re not reportedly ready to make – acquiring Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets.

From an objective and clearly basketball standpoint, Kyrie is exactly the type of move that is quintessential for the Heat. It’s the exact situation that Miami has pounced on time and time again.

Kyrie is a disgruntled star and his trade value is a fraction of what it should be in comparison to his talent. However, at least for now, it’s not a gamble that the Heat is willing to take.

Instead, Miami is hoping to pry Kevin Durant or Donovan Mitchell away from their respective teams. And that is absolutely the play for the Heat. Acquiring either of those two players should be the priority for the Heat, over a player like Kyrie (especially with all the baggage that he brings with him).

But, in theory, the Heat should be willing to take the calculated risk on Kyrie.

And there are plenty of reasons why:

• His trade value is at an all-time low
• His skill set fits exactly what the Heat miss 
• What the Heat would lose in assets won’t hurt the team long-term

And, most of all, there’s a very real chance that the Heat wastes another year of Jimmy’s prime without making a big move. Kyle Lowry was supposed to be that big move last summer. It didn’t pay off in the playoffs and he’s no longer the player he once was.

If the Heat could somewhat swap Lowry, Duncan Robinson, and a first-round pick, for Kyrie, a player who would drastically raise this team’s ceiling, I’m not sure where the disconnect is.

Of course, that’s when the potential off-the-court issues come into play. And that’s probably the biggest reason why the Heat may not be willing to take the gamble, but it’s also why his trade value is at an all-time low.

This is the time when the Heat should believe in their culture. This is when the Heat should believe in their ability to believe in their coaching staff and support system.

For some reason, however, they don’t when it comes to Kyrie. Is it because he’s too far gone? Is it because his talent is worth the trouble?

Generally, the Heat would be all over the Kyrie pursuit. For some reason, they’re not this time around. However, should they miss out on Durant and Mitchell, which is probably very well the most likely scenario, there’s going to be an alternate universe out there in which this Heat organization takes a gamble on Kyrie. And perhaps it pays off.

It doesn’t appear as if the Heat will this time around. And that’s at least somewhat confusing.