Getty Indiana Pacers guard Brad Wanamaker drives with the ball during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
‘Tis the season for fans and hoop pundits alike to put their GM caps on. Their mission: to identify the NBA‘s next blockbuster trade and/or make their own teams better. And while the 12-7 Miami Heat need less help than some, there are definitely spots on the roster where the club could benefit from a move.
As it stands, there’s no blockbuster deal to be made for Heat president Pat Riley. He has seemingly made his bed with the core of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. However, a quality depth piece or two could bolster Miami as a legitimate title contender.
Earlier this week, Bleacher Report cited an offensive-minded backup point-man, support scoring/shooting and more muscle down low as potential needs. For the most part, that rings true for the Heat as currently constituted.
More recently, though, B/R’s Greg Swartz did a write-up on specific hypothetical trades that each contending club could make to help its own cause. His Heat deal may not be much of a needle-mover, though.
B/R: Heat Could Get Brad Wanamaker From Indy
Where Miami was concerned, Swartz was faced with a challenge. Given the team’s massive payroll and the fact that it has limited draft assets with which to work, Riley’s deal-making potential is probably limited heading into the 2022 trade deadline.
So any trade machine action here is likely to lack the sizzle fans like from this kind of exercise.
As such, Swartz elected to focus on the team’s backcourt depth by swinging an easy deal for a low-end depth option. His hypothetical Heat trade shakes out as follows:
- Miami Heat Receive: PG Brad Wanamaker and a 2022 second-round pick.
- Indiana Pacers Receive: PF KZ Okpala
One could definitely talk themselves into a deal like this. As it stands, Okpala is doing little for the Heat besides languishing on the bench. He may still hold value as a trade piece, though; he’s still just 22 years old and his athleticism, 7-foot-2 wingspan and all-around game remain intriguing.
With the right situation, he may be able to work himself into being a solid rotational piece. That’s not going to happen in South Beach, however, so if the Heat can swing him for a player who will actually play a role for them, it’s a win. Swartz seems to think that Wanamaker is that guy.
He writes:
Wanamaker is hitting 36.4 percent of his threes as a backup with the Indiana Pacers and carries 21 games of playoff experience despite entering the NBA in the 2018-19 season. He’d be a solid veteran option off Miami’s bench, and giving up Okpala in the deal should bring a much-needed draft pick in return.
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Would Wanamaker Actually Help the Heath, Though?
Although there’s a lot of truth in that assessment of Wanamaker and the trade at hand, there’s also a pretty sizable omission of facts. While he is currently knocking down triples at a 36.4% clip, he’s at just 30.8% for his career. He has also been pretty terrible on non-threes this year, connecting on just 22.7% of his twos.
Even on shot attempts within three feet of the hope, he’s only hitting pay dirt 28.6% of the time.
Wanamaker is also a net negative on both sides of the ball when he is on the floor this season. His net swing currently checks in at minus-6.9.
If he’s not getting consistent minutes for an 8-12 Pacers team, there’s a good chance that he’s not going to be a player who can beat out Gabe Vincent in Miami. And he’s definitely not the guy who will allow Tyler Herro to play more off-ball. Ultimately, this may be a case where adding him makes sense structurally, but doesn’t actually bring anything to the table.
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