NBA Rumors: Ranking 10 riskiest and most questionable offseason moves

3. Miami Heat holding out for Damian Lillard

Even after making an unlikely run to the NBA Finals, the belief was consistent in that the Miami Heat needed to make some improvements heading into the offseason. If the Heat wanted to win a championship in Jimmy Butler’s window (which is quickly closing), the team needed to make a big move, and sooner rather than later. After not putting its best foot forward in the Bradley Beal negotiations, many questioned the Heat’s seriousness in making a big move.

However, when Damian Lillard demanded a trade to the Heat, it all began to make sense. Though, you can’t help but question the Heat’s decision to hold out this much for Lillard, especially considering it doesn’t appear a deal is close. Add in that the NBA has essentially stepped in and rebuked Lillard’s stance toward demanding a trade to just Miami, and there’s a very real chance the Heat ends up missing out entirely on Lillard.

If the Heat closes the offseason by missing out on both Beal and Lillard, it would be almost impossible to recover heading into the 2023-24 season. The Heat is playing a high-stakes game of chicken and there’s a very real chance they could end up being the big losers of the offseason.