After losing Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors, the Miami Heat is expected to chase after the star this season.
But what could potentially be the next face in a franchise is that they need to fit into the more famous heat cultures than ever before.
The heat can chase things like Giannis Antetocompo and Kevin Durant.
Meanwhile, Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report proposed a deal to send Ja Morant of Memphis Grizzlies to Miami.
When he’s healthy, Morant is one of the most exciting players in the NBA. As a result, it’s not difficult to imagine him playing for a team like The Heat.
But double NBA champion Cedric Maxwell doesn’t believe this mock trade will come true, as Pat Riley explains he should blame it.
“I don’t know he’s working for Pat Riley. Pat Riley runs a really tight ship. Can he fit that heat culture? Because fever culture has always been a sacrifice for the team,” Maxwell told the Night Cap Podcast.
He added: “The team improvements. Not sure. I’ve seen JaMorant. He’s as talented as anyone in this league, but can he put himself in the system of playing under the Heat organization Pat Riley?
“That doesn’t think it’s happening to me.”
While there’s no doubt that Morant is extremely talented, playing for Riley isn’t everyone’s tea. Even people like LeBron James left the heat after fallout with Riley. So Maxwell hasn’t seen JA play in Miami.
The 2024-25 NBA season marked Morant’s sixth campaign in Memphis. During this tenure, Morant helped the team qualify for the four playoffs.
However, the Grizzlies have little success in the postseason. You may wonder if the organization wants to eventually break up with Morant.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Grizzlies have no such plans for now, at least for the time being.
“There’s a belief that Memphis sees their previous All-Stars as players they’ll build not just next season, but in the near future,” Marks wrote.
Either way, Morant needs to play better as the franchise’s cornerstone, as he averaged 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game this season, which isn’t bad, but Morant’s standards aren’t enough.
