Grade the Trade: Mavs land James Harden in mock 4-team Damian Lillard megadeal

Grade the trade for the Miami Heat

Damian Lillard has been the golden goose the Miami Heat have been chasing all summer long, and it just seems like a matter of time before they get a deal done.

Incoming: Damian Lillard, Maxi Kleber, Furkan Korkmaz

Outgoing: Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, Jaime Jaquez Jr., 2027 1st-Round Pick Swap, 2028 1st-Round Pick, 2029 1st-Round Pick Swap, 2030 1st-Round Pick

The Portland Trail Blazers are intent on squeezing the Heat for all they’re worth, and in this deal, the Heat would certainly be giving up quite the haul for Lillard.

That being said, adding a top 15 player in the league would make it worth it, as the superstar point guard would create an elite Big 3 alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

Maxi Kleber would be a solid piece for Miami, too. The veteran big man can play the four or the five thanks to his solid defensive presence and decent three-point shooting.

Furkan Korkmaz hasn’t been a part of the 76ers rotation for a while now, but his three-point shooting could help replace what the Heat loss with Max Strus in a much, much smaller role.

Losing Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry would be mitigated by the addition of Llilard, and the picks Miami would be giving up would be worth losing if they can bring home a championship.

All in all, if this is the cost for Lillard (and Kleber and Korkmaz), it’s a deal the Heat should pounce on.

Grade: A-