There were several problems with this past season’s Miami Heat team. For starters, the injury bug never went away, from the start of the year all the way until the playoffs. Core guys including Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier were unable to appear in any of Miami’s first-round games against the Boston Celtics.
But another major problem was the team’s offense, which ranked 21st — near the bottom of the league — in offensive rating. The team lacked scoring, which is a surprise for a roster that sports names like Butler, Rozier, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. Rozier was supposed to fix the lack of scoring in the backcourt once the team traded for him prior to the deadline, but it took more time than expected to integrate him into the system and then he struggled with injuries.
Herro and Adebayo have offensive potential but shouldn’t be relied on as top-scoring options. Herro dealt with his own injury issues and appeared in just 42 games this season. Butler is absolutely that go-to scoring option, but only around postseason time at a consistent rate. He is also going into his age-35 season, and will need some help with the scoring load.
It will take some contract maneuvering in the trade market because of the Heat’s cap space situation, but there are a few scorers that Miami can poach from conference rivals in the East.
DeMar DeRozan
After surviving a season of trade rumors, Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan is set to hit free agency this summer. At 34, this will most likely be DeRozan’s last big contract. Regardless of him getting up there in age, this is still one of the league’s best offensive talents.
The multi-time All-Star is coming off season averages of 24.0 points, 5.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds on .48/.33/.85 shooting splits. DeRozan is still a mid-range master and his efficiency in getting to the free-throw line remains an impactful part of his game. He can still take over games offensively and provide much-needed scoring and star power in the lineup.
Although DeRozan is a streaky 3-point shooter, his fit with Jimmy Butler could be better than expected considering Butler is coming off a career-high 41.4% shooting from deep. Both players still have plenty of high-level basketball left in the tank and have elite IQs. A pairing could help take the scoring load off of each player for their respective teams heading into next season.
However, signing DeRozan will be difficult. The Heat are essentially operating as a second luxury tax apron team and won’t have anything more than veteran minimum contracts available to sign free agents. To acquire DeRozan, the Heat would first have to shed enough salary beforehand to make a sign-and-trade possible.
Trae Young
After another disappointing season for the Atlanta Hawks, many people expect them to trade one or both of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
Young fits more of what this Heat team needs with his elite scoring ability, coming off a season averaging 25.7 points and a career-high 10.8 assists on 43% shooting. He is a three-time NBA All-Star and led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021.
At 25, Young fits both Butler and Bam Adebayo’s career timelines. Adding a star of his caliber to the Miami core will immediately put them back in contending status. When Butler slows down, the Heat can move forward by building around the two-man game of Young and Adebayo.
There is no questioning that a scorer of his caliber could be a needle-mover for the Heat. Depending on what the market looks for Young’s services and/or if Atlanta makes him available, the Heat do have attractive young pieces and picks to get a deal done. This is one of the best pick-and-roll facilitators in the game, and that combination with Adebayo along with Young’s scoring talent can bring some scary hours to South Florida.
Bringing in another point guard could also put Terry Rozier in a sixth-man position if he stays around; a role that he could excel in and make the team even deeper.
Donovan Mitchell
The biggest question of the offseason is what happens with Donovan Mitchell’s situation in Cleveland. Mitchell is eligible for a contract extension, but if he decides to move on from the Cavaliers then the team is expected to explore trading him. He is set to become a free agent if he exercises his player option next season, and Cleveland won’t risk Mitchell walking for nothing.
Mitchell has been linked to trade rumors since the start of this season when the young guard opted not to sign the extension. Mitchell is one of the league’s great scorers, totaling season averages of 26.6 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds on 46.2% shooting. He also had a 50-point playoff game in the first round of this postseason against the Orlando Magic.
This is another guy who fits both Butler and Adebayo’s windows, with Mitchell being close friends with each of them. He is 27 years old and in his prime. There has been mutual interest between Miami and Mitchell over the years. If the Cavs do end up having to trade him, there were also rumblings of the Cleveland front office liking the idea of acquiring Jaime Jaquez Jr. in a deal.
Could this finally be the summer that Pat Riley brings in a whale for this Heat build?
