Why LeBron James to the Miami Heat Isn’t as Crazy as it Seems | Miami Heat Podcast

Why LeBron James to the Miami Heat Isn’t as Crazy as it Seems | Miami Heat Podcast

Lebron James returning to Miami Heat well Bill Simmons of the ringer recently discussed the possibility and it’s an enticing one for the heat to consider we break down the possibility and why the Return of the King would be the right move on today’s episode of Locked on

Heat you are locked on heat your daily Miami Heat podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day oh all right welcome to locked on heat your daily podcast on the Miami Heat I’m West Goldberg editor at Allan heat.com joining me as always it’s longtime NBA reporter David however

You’re tuning in on YouTube Odyssey or your favorite podcast app thanks so much for making lock down heat your first listen every day it’s the weekend David but I want to talk about this Wild Bill Simmons trade idea that sends LeBron James back to Miami uh here’s what he

Said had a similar one I had LeBron and Gabe Vincent ironically going back to Miami for Lowry and Robinson maybe throwing that yic and a future first so it’s a little bit of a salary dump for the Lakers even though Robinson’s got a pick back or got an

Extra year and they get a pick out of it and kind of do right by LeBron and then there’s the symmetry of LeBron going back to Miami 10 years later that’s kind of fun they could dust out the old Le Miami six jerseys I was kind of into

That one because if they could keep hakz and keep Caleb buron yeah and keep Butler and keep bam and keep Tyler herro and then add LeBron to all that that becomes I think a possible favorite in the East had so that other voice you hear in that clip is friend of the show

Howard Beck um and he’s into the idea David I’m into the idea uh on its face Simmons does make it clear on the show uh before that part of the clip that you heard that this is all hypothetical it’s just sort of a thought exercise size but

Let’s talk about it right we just saw this Lakers team we saw that he kind of dismantle them and turn what is already not an awesome situation in Laker land into sort of like a five alarm fire Darvin ham he’s his coaching job is is at question now and all these things are

Happening now and and they’re they’re below 500 for the first time since November 11th and the trade deadline is about a month away and if this team the Lakers are I don’t know several games below 500 by the trade deadline look I don’t I I I’ll preface everything by saying it’s a

Long shot there’s like a 1% chance that this even happens but if they silver games below 500 and LeBron James who has a player option this coming summer and just and goes to that front office and says something like hey I’m not resigning here right I don’t know I I

Think that’s how this whole hypothetical kind of gets started when you hear that clip from Bill Simmons what do you think what do you think of a trade in that whole situation I want to kind of separate myself from the fact of trading two guys that we’ve

Seen kind of develop here in Duncan Robinson and nicoa yic and Kyle to a lesser extent right the pick you know if anybody who’s been a longtime listener of the show knows me I’m not concerned about that pick I don’t care what it means because right now it doesn’t mean

Anything but when you look at as you said on the surface this potential reunion with LeBron James bringing back Gabe Vincent like if there are concerns at the point guard position there are concerns at that power for position well this trade answers those pretty clearly and you bring back a Hall

Of Fame level player you bring back a guy who is really developed with this organization that wanted to stay in Miami But ultimately chose Los Angeles and gab Vincent because of the payday if he continues to get paid and he can come back to Miami that’s a win-win for him

And I think a win-win for the Fran this is the most David rill response to this question possible you’re not even focusing on LeBron you’re focusing on Gabe Vincent coming back like that’s the main selling point for you it’s not it’s not just no it’s not just that I mean

The idea of Lebron in Miami is I think a tantalizing one I’ve never had a problem with his departure in 2014 I know there are a lot of people who had a a big problem with that and the way it was done and the kind of deceitfulness and

Everything else that they wanted to read into it it was a free agency decision he made it the same way he did in 2010 I can bear him no ill will about the way it all played out uh and I think those those bridges have since been repaired I

Think Pat and LeBron have talked I think we saw just recently uh Pat shaking hands with Maverick Carter right and so all of a sudden now there’s this idea that whatever fractur relationship there might have been between he and clutch Sports has been repaired I’m all for it

The idea of Lebron in Miami that’s ridiculous that is so much fun to consider LeBron’s still a great player does he have a longtime future left in the NBA no it doesn’t matter it’s a season two seasons we don’t know we’ve never seen this before and I know a lot

Of people say oh you don’t want to give up on the potential of yic and Etc look we never know what how that potential will pan out although you and I are clearly Believers in what he can bring to the table we already have a proven

Player and I don’t know what the future entails in terms of LeBron’s on court production but I’m I’m very likely to think that he’s going to continue to be a very good player because of everything he’s done to preserve his body to get to this point we’ve never seen this before

Still expelling he’s that guy right now he’s still a top 10 to 15 player in the NBA right now and I do believe come playoff time if he was on a team that could support him whether it’s a Lakers or a different one he could still be the

Best player on a championship team I don’t know how long he’s gonna play either quite frankly I don’t really care like I said he’s gonna probably become a free agent this this offseason and either extends for for more money or do something else uh I I still don’t think

He leaves Los Angeles in my heart of hearts I never really beli that even with all the bronny stuff where where he’s going to go play wherever his son plays he loves Los Angeles I don’t know who knows but I’m also not going to sit here and pretend that I’ve always known

LeBron’s next move either so um I the the big question is not whether or not it’s worth giving up on the potential of nikovic or the first round pick or any of that stuff the the big question here is if you’re in this thought exercise is does adding LeBron to this Miami team

Make them legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference more than they already are and I think unquestionably the answer is yes you put LeBron James jimmmy Butler and Bam adabo together on the Miami Heat David that’s the closest thing to Miami’s big three since Miami’s big three you’ve got LeBron James 10

Years older you got Jimmy Butler playing the Dwayne Wade part you’ve got bam atab bio playing the Chris Bosch part and here’s my favorite part about this whole hypothetical we have heard Eric spola talk about regrets from The Big Three era what things that he feels like he

Could have done to unlock that Trio a little bit more how he could have modernized those three in that entire system a little bit more a young Eric spoler at that time now seasoned the second longest tene coach in the NBA unquestionably I think the best coach in

The NBA like give him a second shot at a trio like that I mean it is almost exactly what that group was and if you’re able to keep in the Simmons trade idea your real good wings like hakz and Caleb and Haywood heith on all those

Things to kind of Tyler her and Tyler herro not to mention as a as a scoring threat in a floor space or around that three that to me is so interesting not just because of the whole story of LeBron coming back to Miami to try to win another championship where you could

Argue he should have never left in the first place a re his best coach he’s ever played for and by the way all these darham coaching issues and all these not the problem with spoler you’re gonna have no questions about how he’s handling his business right I love that

Idea but I really like it from the spoler perspective of him getting another shot at it does the front office even considered again aside from the whole theoretical yes yes I I look a lot of people probably wonder from that perspective and look nothing is gonna happen unless LeBron LeBron makes that

Decision and you can make whatever front office are you talking about the Lakers front office or the heat front office both both okay the Lakers office only does it if LeBron asks out there’s no way that they could just we trading you hey buddy but the but he brings up a

Good point it’s a it’s a good it’s a a make good situation for Los Angeles in the sense that kind of like what to a much lesser extent kind of like what Cleveland did when they traded Dwayne back to Miami like we want to kind of

Clear the books a little bit we’re kind of restarting we we still want to make a push in 2018 we know we’re good enough but Dwayne doesn’t really fit into our plans let’s do the right thing he came in here he took a discount to come here

To play alongside LeBron let’s send him back home it’s very similar too to what the Trailblazers did with Damen Lillard sending him to exactly oh wait no that’s not exact that’s not at all what they did never mind sorry no so I I think look you still have ad you still have

Austin Reeves you get whatever you get back in a return for LeBron James and he makes that decision he says you know what I I I want to go back I want to go back to Miami or he just says Hey I want to get dealt to a contender I want to go

Chase that fifth ring I want I want to be competing I’m 39 years old I don’t want to do this anymore send me I think no no again but if he and in this theoretical magical world that we’re talking about like he he only has specific destinations in line he’s too

Old oh sure no it would be a list it would be a list it’s like I can compete in I don’t know I’m off the top of my head Philadelphia Milwaukee Miami I Boston Golden State maybe to pair up with Steph Curry um Chris Paul they’re B teammates and Chris Paul yeah Banana

Boat crew um the last one right he hasn’t played he’s played with Melo a different version of Melo he’s played with dwade yeah that would be the last one so I think you’d be like all right these are the teams that I think if you

Put me here now I can go ahead and Chase that fifth ring and I think Miami would obviously be on that list and then you kind of go through that list too Milwaukee’s got nothing Philadelphia’s got some picks and then like a bunch of stackable salaries that are expiring so

If the Lakers are going to go Full Tilt rebuild maybe they trade Anthony Davis also all all that stuff before the deadline maybe that’s interesting for them just to create cap space and get and get draft picks back um but that’s like a whole other thing um Golden State

With this whole Jonathan kaminga thing that broke Friday afternoon is really interesting kaminga plus I don’t know Wiggins or whatever else Clay’s expiring clay Southern California Orange County kid uh playing for the organization that his dad played for like that could be a really interesting storyline and a

Selling point But ultimately if you’re Miami you say we got up we got the 2028 2030 pick we could trade you Duncan Robinson who makes sense for your roster even without LeBron James like Duncan Robinson spreading the floor for Anthony Davis at least theoretically Kyle L’s expiring contract and a good young

Player Nicola yic I don’t I don’t know I I I feel like they would be in the mix if you’re the heat front office do you do it yeah I think so I I looked I again their their short-term viability I I Duncan is the most valuable player that

You’re sending in that in that scenario in the shortterm because yeah yeah because his three-point shooting is what it is this season he’s been so Dynamic and so great and I think that’s where they would kind of be hesitant to say you know they’d want the three-point shooting they’d be missing that they

They don’t have well you he’s not Duncan and and we’re not going to have this conversation for this episode but he’s not Duncan he does not no very few players do but he can at least face the floor sure sure I mean Vincent can’t too I mean the again

Theoretically LeBron can’t too so but it’s not they’re not Duncan and Duncan is one of one really and and um you I think that’s where the sticking point for Miami would be but I I think the chance to welcome them back I mean Mickey Harrison’s eyes would light up

The the the promotional aspect of this the business aspect of this would be something along the same lines as 2010 LeBron is still one of the biggest stars on the planet if not still the biggest star on the planet in terms of basketball and I think that would mean a

A lot to this franchise and being able to welcome him back another chance to kind of mend those fences again number six is going to hang from the rafters at some point in the future might as well make it a put a nice bow on the whole situation well interesting on the number

Six I don’t think he would be allowed to wear it because the league stupidly retired Bill Russell’s number for the all 30 teams so because he can he’s he was able to wear it in he’ll get it he’ll get it it’s LeBron James no because Bill

Russell died so you can’t do that I think the NBA has already made the dumb decision to retire one player’s jersey for all 30 NBA franchises I I this is no disrespect at all it’s ridiculous in yeah doesn’t even wear number six anymore and if you were to change

Jerseys he wouldn’t be able to go like if literally change teams you have to change jerseys he wouldn’t be able to go back to number six so we would get a new LeBron number would that be 23 it couldn’t be because the stupidly retired Michael Jordan’s number so what number

Would he be in Miami what number would we like to see it uh well this is season he can’t be 21 right LeBron James’s Olympics number was uh nine I think it was also six and I think that’s how he came to it yeah it was six

Yeah so he’s only worn six and 23 you said 21 it couldn’t be 21 and he would just change his number it would just change his number every year he was in Miami who knows who knows I don’t know like it doesn’t matter uh they’ll figure something out right

Like I mean this is a manuo of this whole thing but when it comes to LeBron in the front office and the NBA they’ll be like oh well you know this is a special exception you know he kind of wore number six before so he’s technically grandfathered into wearing this jersey I don’t

Know you can just wear one of the old shys that nobody ever bought like assuming the Heat fans didn’t burn those in the process but oh man I I just I think it would just be I I think it really would be a great fit no okay you

Know what I’m kind of hesitant about that I do want to talk to you about that because like on on the court I know that he would be a good fit but I think there would be some bumps and bruises along the way like not just the transition and

Shift and power and the hierarchy and the way players yes adjust to new roles alongside LeBron which is always challeng yes Jimmy Butler yeah he’s not taking the last shot anymore and I think that’s that’s something that he would have a hard time swallowing you know because right now it’s his franchise and

It should be he’s he’s carried it for the last four and a half Seasons so I I don’t I don’t know how seamless that would be that would be a Clash of egos both on the court and behind the scenes it’s such an interesting thing that you

Bring up if you’re Pat Riley do you have to ask Jimmy Butler before you trade for LeBron considering that it’s LeBron I don’t know that you do I think it I think you would like I think you would like for that conversation to happen but I don’t

Know that you’re asking I think if you’re Pat Riley you go to Jimmy and you say we have this opportunity we’re doing it are you going to be are you going to be all right with that’s an ask I guess that’s an but even if but it’s a

Soft ask and it’s a little bit of a rhetorical where it’s like even if you say no we’re gonna do it anyway well you don’t you don’t phrase it like that I think Pat Riley yeah yeah we’re we’re you know considering the possibility and we’re running a p but

Reality I don’t know that he would if it means winning a championship I don’t would they with Championship now that’s all their their their percentage would go up what 20% of winning the champ like minimum it would like oh the odds would be yeah yeah minimum 20% I

Mean probably they they go if not the outright favorite by the FanDuel odds uh in the East over Boston tied with Boston right just because of where their records stand currently but like every Celtics fan is quaking in their boots if LeBron joins Jimmy Butler bam atab bio

Tyler hero and Eric spola like there is no team that wants to face that in a playoff setting I don’t know I would have I would I would just put all my money that I have on that team like I I think they would be great but I I do too

I do and I kind of think that Jimmy and LeBron would get along like you know they’re both Alphas but they both work extremely hard they both take care amazing job of their bodies um you put them next to each other you put Jimmy and LeBron next to each other

And just give them a whole row they’ve got kind of those three rows in the locker slide over right now Jimmy’s in the cat bird seat you know you know what isn’t yic on the end on the other side on the other side I think it was I

Think it’s I think it’s empty right now on the on the other side of KB I’m not sure this is inside baseball stuff I think there’s some but yeah you just you’ll feel you’re right they both get they both get their own rows um but

Uh I don’t know man it’s it’s it’s such a fun thought experiment unfortunately it’s never going to happen happen um but the Miami Heat whale chasing potentially I don’t know but if LeBron were available I bet they would be in the mix speaking of in the mix uh we did have

ESPN’s Brian windhorse on the show if you missed our interview with him on Friday definitely go check that out we talk about van metab bio’s All-Star case the trade deadline realistic stuff that’s going on uh and Donovan Mitchell’s future uh it’s up on YouTube wherever you get your podcast thanks for

Making lock on heat your first listen every day we’ll be back on Monday day with the full show in the meantime everybody have a great weekend

Things aren’t going well for the Lakers, raising questions about their future and if LeBron James would consider leaving to win a championship elsewhere. The Ringer’s Bill Simmons recently suggested some fake trade ideas, one of which lands LeBron back with the Heat.

Wes Goldberg and David Ramil bat around the trade idea, what LeBron returning to Miami would do for the Heat’s title chances, if LeBron and Jimmy Butler could co-exist and more.

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOHeat?sid=YouTube

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

📲 Follow Locked On Heat on Twitter
Locked On Heat https://twitter.com/LockedOnHeat
David Ramil https://twitter.com/dramil13
Wes Goldberg https://twitter.com/wcgoldberg

📸 Follow Locked On Heat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lockedonheat/

📺 Follow Locked On NBA: https://linktr.ee/lockedonnba

📢 Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! | Offers from our sponsors: lockedonpodcasts.com/offers

Jase Medical
Get $20 off these lifesaving antibiotics with Jase Medical by using code LOCKEDON at checkout on jasemedical.com.

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase.

Birddogs
Go to birddogs.com/LOCKEDONNBA or enter promo code LOCKEDONNBA for a free water bottle with any purchase. You won’t want to take your birddogs off we promise you.

Betterhelp
This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/lockedonnba today to get 10% off your first month.

FanDuel
This episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, Official Sportsbook of Locked On. Right now, NEW customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get TWO HUNDRED in BONUS BETS – GUARANTEED. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
#NBA #MiamiHeat #JimmyButler #DamianLillard