Former Three-Time All Star Says Miami Heat Nearly Traded LeBron James In 2011

Gilbert Arenas suggested that the Miami Heat almost moved on from LeBron James after the 2011 Finals.

May 26, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) prepares to shoot a free throw during the third quarter in game five of the eastern conference finals of the 2011 NBA playoffs against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images | Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images

Apparently, no one is safe in the NBA. That's at least according to former NBA veteran Gilbert Arenas, who said the Miami Heat almost traded Heat legend LeBron James in 2011 for Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard.

"The Miami Heat after the m************ Dallas [series], tried to trade LeBron James for Dwight Howard," Arenas said on a livestream of his podcast. "They felt that how LeBron James played against Dallas, that they didn't need him. Chris Bosh was like their all-purpose player, so they were trying to trade [LeBron] to get a big man down there."

Gil says the Miami Heat once tried to trade LeBron James for Dwight Howard after losing the 2011 NBA Finals

“They felt the way that LeBron played against Dallas, they didn’t need him.”

What a trade that would’ve been!! pic.twitter.com/w2FL5eqFsS

— Playback (@WatchPlayback) March 14, 2025

James' 2011 Finals performance remains the biggest stain on his legendary career. James averaged 17.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists against the Dallas Mavericks, including an eight-point Game 4 performance.

"Him and Pat Riley was fighting over power from the first year," Arenas said. "There should be a video of Dwyane Wade and [Udonis] Haslem actually discussing this s***."

Nevertheless, this is very hard to believe. Howard was one of the league's most dominant players then, but James won two consecutive MVPs before landing in Miami. Even for James' Finals underperformance, it's difficult to imagine Miami moving on from him after one season.

If this was the case, though, the Heat certainly don't regret their decision to keep the NBA legend. Miami won two consecutive titles after 2011, with James winning the MVP and Finals MVP awards in both seasons.

Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.

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