Getty The Heat likely need to pull off a trade to improve their roster.
As currently constructed, the Miami Heat are probably lacking what it takes to win a championship.
While the team certainly hasn’t been aided by it’s multitude of injuries with Bam Adebayo sidelined for at least a month following a torn UCL and Jimmy Butler having missed the past six games due to a tailbone injury, the Heat appear to be lacking a certain something.
Whether it’s the lack of chemistry due to the team’s mounting injuries or the lack of consistent 3-point shooting due to Duncan Robinson’s struggles — .336 from beyond the arc for the season — the Heat have to make a move if they want to expand their potential.
Heat Could Target Role Player Via Trade
According to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, the Heat may not be able to pull off a blockbuster trade due to their lack of movable assets. However, they could pull off a deal for a role player specializing in a certain niche, with former top-10 draft picks Alex Len and Ben McLemore being floated as possible names.
“What’s the going rate for KZ Okpala on the open market? Answer that question, and you’ve likely set the Miami Heat’s trade budget, since he might be as close to a movable asset as they have.
As long as the answer isn’t nothing, Miami is in business. It’s the business of bargain-hunting, of course, but this franchise has a knack for uncovering values from unexpected players. (Looking at you, anonymous-players-turned-rotation-regulars, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent.)
The clearance bin is pretty blah, but blah might be enough to cover up minor, niche roles. Think Brad Wanamaker for veteran point guard depth, Ben McLemore for occasional streak shooting and Alex Len for extra interior oomph.”
McLemore has spent the season with a disappointing Portland Trail Blazers squad that could very well miss the playoffs. The veteran guard is averaging just 6.7 points in 13.1 minutes per game. However, the 28-year-old has proven to add a scoring punch when given minutes, averaging 10.1 points in 22.8 minutes per game during the 2019-20 season with the Houston Rockets.
When you factor in his ability to convert from beyond the arc — he’s hitting on 43.9 percent of his 3-point attempts this season– the Heat could use his offensive attributes.
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Heat Big Men Decimated by Injuries
In the case of Len, the 7-footer is currently toiling around as a bit rotation player for the Sacramento Kings, averaging 6.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 block in 17.0 minutes per game.
However, Len is a big man with starting experience — 232 games started in 552 appearances — and could give the Heat a much-needed presence on the interior. The Heat are real thin at the big man positions following Adebayo’s injury, featuring Dewayne Dedmon at center and raw and unpolished players such as Omer Yurtseven and KZ Okpala in major minutes.
Starting power forward P.J. Tucker’s recent leg injury has him out for at least Tuesday’s game, making the Heat even more thin moving forward.
The Heat started off the season as one of the best teams in the league, but they’ve quickly reached the bottom after losing to the worst team in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons, on Sunday, December 19.
At 18-13, the Heat still hold a respectable record and a fifth seeding in the Eastern Conference. But if they’re going to reach a higher ceiling, acquiring a vital role player will go a long way towards making that a possibility.
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