For the fifth time in his career, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra will take his team to the NBA Finals. And there, he’ll attempt to defeat LeBron James — the superstar who helped make Spoelstra a champion in the first place.
Although the exact numbers may differ, Las Vegas has installed the Lakers as the favorite to win the title, and one can only help but to wonder whether the Heat will walk away from the championship regretting not finding a way to work things out with the Thunder last February.
It was then that Sam Presti reportedly with the franchise on a deal that would have sent Gallinari to Miami. The Heat were obviously in acquisition mode and believing that the franchise had an opportunity to make noise in the Eastern Conference, was seemingly aggressive in its pursuit of the Italian sharpshooter.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (then of Bleacher Report), the Heat built a package around rookie Kendrick Nunn, James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk.
For a time, the deal seemed close to fruition, as the Heat were reportedly interested in an extend-and-trade deal with Gallinari, who will become a free agent once the season is over.
Obviously, at the 11th hour — and for reasons unknown — the deal ended up falling apart. Gallinari obviously remained in Oklahoma City, but Miami did successfully poach Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala from the Memphis Grizzlies. The two would obviously become major contributors for the club and be integral in its going on to eventually win the Eastern Conference.
Gallinari was also a target, but according to Sam Quinn of CBSSports.com, some potential reasons the deal didn’t get done were because the Heat couldn’t come to terms with the Thunder on what kind of draft compensation would be headed to Oklahoma City, while Riley’s staff also may have had trouble negotiating an extension with Gallinari.
Complicating matters for the Heat, it’s believed, is its desire to maintain its cap flexibility in such a way that the team could make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo should the reigning MVP opt to become a free agent at the conclusion of next season.
The rest, as they say, is history. Gallinari remained in Oklahoma City, and now, as Spoelstra prepares for LeBron James and Anthony Davis, he’ll do so with a reliance on Bam Adebayo and the team’s sharpshooters in Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson.
In hindsight, adding Gallinari to that mix may have helped push the Heat over the top. It’s something that the franchise will certainly be thinking about if Las Vegas ends up being correct and the Lakers walk away with the Larry O’Brien trophy.