(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Fewer stories have dominated the NBA’s offseason than a potential Damian Lillard trade.
Lillard is rumored to be interested in joining the Miami Heat, joining Jimmy Butler and the rest of the roster.
This potential trade has received mixed reviews.
Some believe this could be a home run for both parties, while others have expressed concern about the situation.
One concerned party is John Salley, who discussed his trepidation about this deal with “Scoop B” Robinson.
“They [the Heat] made it to the Finals without him [Lillard] and it wasn’t sheer luck,” Salley said.
Miami Heat PG Damian Lillard makes all the difference in the world in South Beach?
“They made it to the Finals without him [Lillard] and it wasn’t sheer luck,” says John Salley.
“It was that the year before when Jimmy Butler got into with Haslem. It was Jimmy Butler putting… https://t.co/S7IdIVFIAE pic.twitter.com/4B4r5dCCKN
— Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) August 28, 2023
Salley believes the Heat did just fine without Lillard in 2022.
He also indicated that the team could be worse off with him on the roster, even though he’s commonly viewed as one of the league’s best players.
“Damian Lillard changes the way you 100% prepare for the team, but it’s still only one basketball,” Salley said.
While Lillard’s shooting abilities and general basketball IQ might be a welcomed addition to the roster, he could also be a distraction from their ultimate goal.
Salley seems to adopt the mindset of an All-Star team’s roster, and how they often fail in sports.
All-Star teams are filled with a lot of individual talent, but the players on the team don’t have a lot of experience playing together.
This can lead to general dysfunction as a unit and ultimately fail.
Butler and Lillard are both great players individually and already have an established rapport.
Could the two join forces on the Heat, uniting for a common goal of an NBA Finals victory?
The post NBA Legend Shares His Thoughts On Damian Lillard Potentially Joining Heat appeared first on The Cold Wire.