Getty Lonnie Walker, San Antonio Spurs
We’re less than a week into the playoffs and we’re already entering the free-agency rumor mill. However, time waits for no one, and that includes the Miami Heat front office.
The consistent success on south beach is founded on foresight, Pat Riley and his front office team are exceptional at pinpointing their targets and making moves to acquire them no matter the cost.
You don’t become a sustained contender that consistently develops young talent while boasting star players without some exceptional attention to detail. And now, according to Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale, the Heat could have the San Antonio Spurs wing, Lonnie Walker, in their sights as free agency draws closer.
and it ends up being the game-winner. that is as tough of a finish as it gets by Lonnie Walker IV on the reigning DPOY.
“Manu Ginobili apparently took Lonnie Walker IV under his wing this season—and it showed. His counting stats don’t look much different compared to last year, but he closed the 2021-22 campaign on a tear just after the trade deadline, averaging 15.7 points while converting 54 percent of his twos and 36 percent of his threes over his final 19 games,” Favale wrote as part of his reasoning.
Walker would be a welcomed addition to Miami’s bench unit, and given the injury issues the team has had this season, would be another body capable of scoring the rock and playing some perimeter defense that would be capable of deputizing as a starter in a pinch.
Walker Could Replace Victor Oladipo
When Victor Oladipo re-signed with the Heat on a one-year deal, it was clear the idea was to rebuild his trade value before re-entering free agency in the summer. However, Oladipo couldn’t stay healthy, and missed all but eight games of the regular season, further decreasing interest in his services from around the league.
Sure, the veteran two-guard went nuclear against the Orlando Magic on the final day of the regular season, dropping 40 points on 59.1% shooting from the field and 45.5% from deep. But with such a long history of injury issues, Oladipo will likely find himself hunting for a new home this off-season, and that could open the door for Walker to make the move from Texas.
1. I’ve got Oladipo on me, let’s call for a pick.
2. Oh, there’s Bam, let’s kick it out now.
3. Shoot, he’s got Iguodala, it’s probably coming back to me.
4. Got it, let’s atta…there’s Bam again.
Heat’s rotation is almost always going to have 3+ switchable guys up top now.
Walker, while not an explosive scorer like Oladipo, is a reliable scoring threat that has developed under the tutelage of Greg Popovich. When you acquire a player from the Spurs system you know they’re going to be fundamentally focused and team orientated – two traits the Heat look for in their role players.
Miami En Route to The Second Round
Walker may or may not join the Heat in free agency, but one thing we can be sure of is that the Heat are looking good value for money in their current playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.
Miami finished the regular season in first place, while Atlanta qualified as the eighth seed after navigating two games of the play-in tournament. Still, while both teams boast a deep roster sprinkled with star talent, the Heat are the superior two-way team and have been putting Atlanta in a vice grip.
Bam Adebayo’s defensive field goal percentage vs the Hawks in the playoffs: 18.8% 🔒
It’s reasonable to believe that the Heat will progress to the second round of the playoffs with relative ease, where they will likely face the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round. While the Sixers will be a sterner test than the Hawks due to their defensive ability, Miami still has a genuine chance of progressing to the Eastern Conference finals.
With veteran stars Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry, Miami has a chance to make a run towards the NBA finals, but if they wish to remain at their current level so minor cosmetic alterations will be required for their roster in the off-season, and Lonnie Walker certainly fits the bill as an impactful project player.