Getty Duncan Robinson and Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat react during a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Miami Heat continue to face uncertainty regarding who’s actually available to play in any given game. Right now, Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin and PJ Tucker are all dealing with injuries; if Miami can get them back, though, the club has reason to feel good about its chances night in and night out.
The same can probably be said about the Heat’s season on the whole. If everyone could just get healthy — and stay that way — Miami might be the favorite to come out of the East. In other words, things are pretty darn good for the Heat, presently.
Regardless, team president Pat Riley undoubtedly has his eyes on the future and potential moves to make the South Beach crew even more formidable. Had there been an opportunity for a home-run move at the trade deadline, the Godfather may have pounced on it then.
One surefire way to bolster the roster would be to add a star big man to pair with Bam Adebayo this offseason. Here’s one trade proposal that would accomplish just that.
Dealing a Fan Favorite for an 18-10 Guy
According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, Riley and the Heat may be keen on going star-hunting this summer. He even suggested that they may be willing to sacrifice Tyler Herro in a deal if it means reeling in a bigger fish.
If that possibility isn’t there, he noted that Duncan Robinson could be moved in a smaller-scale deal to upgrade the roster.
With that being the case, we’re pitching the following trade that keeps Herro with the Heat (where he belongs), yet still manages to bring some added star power to the team’s frontcourt:
- Miami Heat receive: F/C Christian Wood
- Houston Rockets get: G/F Duncan Robinson and a 2023 first-round pick.
Fischer noted that the Heat have a level of interest in Wood. Moreover, sources told Heavy.com ahead of the deadline that some Wood-Robinson chatter had occurred. So, the Heat could potentially re-engage on a potential move sometime around draft night.
The 26-year-old Wood is averaging 17.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and one block per game this season. He’s also connecting on 37.6% of his nearly five three-point attempts per game. As such, he may be the ideal complement to Adebayo; a 6-foot-10 baller who can pull opposing bigs out to the perimeter while Bam does his thing down low.
He would also provide a threat as a driver and roll man.
Meanwhile, the Rockets get an elite shooter in Robinson who would give their athletic youngsters more room to operate offensively. He could also make for a quality trade piece next season when some contender or another will inevitably be looking to add a perimeter threat for the stretch run.
Houston also gets a valuable draft pick in the deal, which is something the club should be eyeing as it engages in a rebuilding process.
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Dealing Duncan Would Be Hard, But…
Even when he’s not performing at a peak level, Robinson adds value to just about any lineup as a floor-spacer. However, his struggles in 2021-22 have been pronounced. As of this writing, we’re entering Game No. 71 and the sharpshooter is still under 40% overall from the field for the season.
The time for labeling this as a slump has been over and done with for a while now; Robinson has officially had a bad year. All the while, the Heat have shown that their offense can soar without him providing that space.
When the 27-year-old has been on the court this season, Miami has scored a ho-hum 109.1 points per 100 possessions. When he has been on the bench, the number actually jumps up to 112.9 points/100 poss.
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Blockbuster Trade Proposal Swaps Heat Sharpshooter for Star Big Man