3 ways the Miami Heat can add another star this offseason

No. 2 star trade for the Miami Heat: Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving has made more than his share of inexcusable decisions over the last few years. His behavior off the court has (rightfully) made him a lightning rod for criticism. The Nets traded him for pennies on the dollar at the deadline, partially because he demanded out, but also partially because it was simply just time to get rid of the headache.

The Mavs swung for Irving and still missed the playoffs. The Irving-Doncic duo paid major dividends on the offensive end — of course it did — but basketball is a two-way sport. The defense suffered tremendously and the Mavs simply couldn’t generate enough stops to win games.

Dallas is the favorite to sign Irving, who is now an unrestricted free agent. The Mavs can pay him the most money and, frankly, the market isn’t terribly robust at first glance. No team with cap space is in a position to spend big on Irving, except maybe the win-starved Rockets. And even then, why would Irving want to join a bad team?

What if, however, the Heat slip in as a sign-and-trade option? The Heat are A) located in Miami, B) reigning conference champs, and C) known for the kind of rigorous workplace culture that could help restore Irving’s reputation to some degree.

Butler would probably love to share the court with a player of Irving’s caliber if the off-court distractions don’t proliferate the locker room (that is, of course, a big whopping if). Irving would give the Heat another boost of shot creation and rim pressure in the backcourt. His two-man actions with Adebayo would be immediately fruitful and no team has made better use of small, offensively-inclined guards in recent postseasons than Miami.

For the Mavs, the compensation is respectable under the circumstances. Martin is now a proven playoff asset who can provide much-needed defensive resistance on the wing. Herro is like 70 percent of Irving, which could be enough with a slightly deeper roster and an MVP-level Luka. The Mavs also get two future picks to soften the fallout.