If the Miami Heat get smoked in the NBA Finals, it could be good for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Things didn’t start well for the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Not only did they get completely destroyed by the Los Angeles Lakers in game one, but Goran Dragic is likely out for the season and Jimmy Butler tweaked his ankle. The Heat’s bad luck could end up being good for the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Heat made the Finals unexpectedly, as they are a young team built around Jimmy Butler and a bunch of rookies and younger players. Guys have stepped up for Miami and their run has been incredible, but is it sustainable?
The Heat have at least six free agents this offseason, so they will have a lot of tough choices to make. On one hand, they made it to the Finals and may want to run it back. On the other, they might get smoked by the Lakers and decide that they need to go in a different direction.
Obviously, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo and probably Duncan Robinson are part of the Heat core moving forward. You can probably add Kendrick Nunn to that list as well, even though he has not gotten much run in the playoffs.
A big chunk of the Heat roster is going into unrestricted free agency and some of them would be good fits on the Pelicans.
And several of them have good reason to look for a new job, as they are either not playing much now or don’t seem to be part of the Heat’s future, especially if they lose.
If the Heat lose badly they may decide they need another superstar to pair with Butler, which means some of these guys are going to be on new teams.
Could the New Orleans Pelicans swoop in?