Heat Considered Potential Landing Spot for 23-Year-Old Wing Scorer

Getty OG Anunoby #3 of the Toronto Raptors reacts with Gary Trent Jr. #33

Earlier in December, the Miami Heat were said to have interest in the collection of Toronto Raptors players that could be available this season. The group consisted of Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Gary Trent Jr. as potential players the Raptors may want to deal to begin a rebuild with Scottie Barnes as the premier star of the team. A December 10 article from Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus reported the Heat as a team interested in one of the four available Raptors but didn’t specify which one they’d seek. On December 14, Pincus provided clarification in his latest report for Bleacher Report, where he names Gary Trent Jr. as a player the Heat would likely have interest in. 

“But more realistically, the Raptors will fight to avoid the play-in, compete and answer their more essential questions later. If there’s one player who doesn’t stick through the deadline, it’s Trent.

Trent (almost 24) would fit with any team looking to add a wing scorer who can defend. The Suns, Lakers, Warriors, Hawks, and Heat could be interested,” Pincus writes for Bleacher Report. 

Gary Trent Jr. to the Miami Heat

Gary Trent Jr. has made a name for himself as a scorer in the NBA. This season he is averaging 17.2 points per game for the Raptors. His production has likely suffered with the log jam that Toronto has had in among their swingmen. A change of scenery could help elevate his play. 

Trent is being paid $17.5 million this season with an $18.8 million option for 2023-24, and sources told Pincus that because of that the Raptors could look to trade Trent. 

The source told Pincus that the Raptors are likely looking to trade Gary Trent Jr. “I don’t think they want to keep Trent.”

If they look to trade Trent, the Heat does make sense. Miami is currently ranked 27th in the NBA with its offensive rating. Trent would bring an offensive boost that the Heat desperately needs. Jimmy Butler has been stellar offensively when he hasn’t been injured, but Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro tend to struggle with consistency on offense. Which is one reason that some are calling for the Heat to again bench Tyler Herro, and one NBA executive suggested that the Heat are frustrated with Adebayo. 

Heat ‘Frustrated’ with Bam Adebayo’s Offense

Ahead of this season, Miami had issued their All-Star Adebayo a challenge to be more aggressive on offense, but that remains a missing piece of his game, and an Eastern Conference executive suggested to Heavy Sports that this is likely a source of frustration around the Heat organization. 

“When Bam plays aggressive, and when he is playing like he is the best guy on the floor, he is a Top 10, Top 15 player. But he doesn’t always do that, does he? You could see it during the conference finals against the Celtics—when he was aggressive, Boston had no answer for him. That Game 3 up in Boston, he was unstoppable (31 points on 15-for-22 shooting). But then he’d have games where he takes four or five shots. I think there is some frustration from the team that he doesn’t bring that aggressiveness every night. If he is the best player and Jimmy Butler is the No. 2 option and Tyler Herro No. 3, that is a lot better team than when Bam lets himself be the third option,” the Eastern Executive told Heavy Sports.