Zach LaVine to the Miami Heat
Heading into the NBA Trade Deadline, the big goal for the Miami Heat has to be trading Jimmy Butler. At this point, I can't envision a scenario in which he remains on the roster beyond the deadline. That's what the team has to be focusing on over the next week. Assuming they are able to get a deal done, there is one part of a multi-team trade that could land them Zach LaVine. If the Heat are going to have to take on some salary in a Jimmy trade, I'd argue that taking on a contract like LaVine could be worth the hassle for them.
If I were the Heat, I'd rather roll the dice on a player like LaVine rather than a player like Bradley Beal. Even though LaVine has been labeled as somewhat of a polarizing player over the last couple of seasons, there could be a role for him on this team. Miami could use the offensive burst that LaVine could theoretically add to the team. In what has been one of the best seasons of his career thus far, I'm not sure if the LaVine and Tyler Herro fit would be great but you can't deny the talent they'd have on the floor.
What a trade may look like: If the Heat would be open to such a possibility, there is a potential path toward expanding the Jimmy deal. In a hypothetical world, the Heat could trade Jimmy to the Golden State Warriors while sending the likes of Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, and other necessary salary and draft capital to the Bulls. Chicago then could send LaVine to Miami to get it done.
With such an acquisition, there's reason to believe that the Heat would be able to make a move up the Eastern Conference standings with how bunched up the 4-6 seeds have been through the first half of the season. I don't think anyone envisions LaVine making the Heat a championship contender this season but if the team does have any desires to remain competitive in the conference, there's reason to believe that LaVine would help them accomplish that as they explore what could be next for them moving forward.