The Miami Heat are near the top of the eastern conference once again and while the team has been accused of coasting through the regular season, LeBron James knows that the injuries to Dwyane Wade are a huge factor for the team and that is why it's possible this season that names like Kyle Lowry, Evan Turner, Kirk Hinrich or Andre Miller could be moving at the trading deadline.
James has spoken multiple times this season about how important Wade is to winning another championship and with the Miami Heat star dealing with knee injury issues this season, the Heat may try and add some insurance or some depth at the position to ensure that they don't fall apart if Wade misses significant time. According to ESPN.com, James spoke with reporters about Wade and his impact on the team, saying that his injuries are "tough" for the team and that it's hard to fill his shoes when he is out of the lineup. Wade dealt with some knee problems in the playoffs last season and now this year he has sat out of some back to back games and has missed four straight over the past couple weeks.
The Miami Herald reported that Wade missed his fourth straight game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday and that game was on TNT and came after both James and Wade, as well as Kobe Bryant from the Lakers, were all selected to the NBA All-Star team in 2014. James and Wade and the Miami Heat are going for their third straight championship and fourth straight trip to the finals and while James has shown that he can carry the team and is the best player in the league, this season could be very different if Wade can't go as hard or as much during the postseason.
Adding a player now helps that on two levels, as Wade can get more rest during the regular season, which would have him strong for the playoffs and also because if Wade is significantly hurt, Miami can continue without missing a beat. None of those players offers the skills and talent of Wade, but they easily could make up for his scoring and production when needed. Turner has been playing very well for the Sixers and they declined on signing him to an extension and that means he is a player that could move at the deadline.
The Chicago Bulls may not want to trade with a rival, but Hinrich could be an option if the team continues to sell after dealing Luol Deng to the Cavaliers. Lowry has been mentioned in multiple trades with the Raptors, including to the NY Knicks, but that talk has cooled and things could pick up once it gets closer to the trading deadline. Miller has had some issues with the Denver Nuggets and he could be an option to add some veteran depth to the roster.
