Getty Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lamar Stevens celebrates after scoring a basket during a game against the LA Lakers.
The NBA Playoffs are in full effect and, for the Miami Heat, good things are happening. Facing a Hawks club that’s missing Clint Capela and trying to reintegrate John Collins, Jimmy Butler and the South Beach crew notched a blowout win in Game 1 of their first-round series.
Moreover, Duncan Robinson — who spent the majority of the regular season in an incredible slump — exploded with a game-high 27 points on 9-of-10 shooting over just 23 minutes of play.
Nevertheless, the Heat have a long way to go in their quest for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. And whether they win the thing or not, team president Pat Riley will undoubtedly be on the prowl for roster upgrades this summer.
Unfortunately, the team’s salary cap situation may limit the Godfather to working in the margins. That’s not to say, though, that there aren’t deals to be made. For his part, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz sees the potential for a swap featuring a pair of intriguing young big men.
Heat Could Bring Lamar Stevens Into #HeatCulture
Swartz just dropped his list of the trades that each NBA playoff team “wishes it could make.” His pitch for the Heat would see the team swapping its fan-favorite pivot prospect for an athletic combo forward in the following deal with the Cavs:
- Miami Heat receive: F Lamar Stevens
- Cleveland Cavaliers get: C Omer Yurtseven
The idea here is that Miami moves a player who some might consider a project — and one that’s probably being wasted behind Bam Adebayo — for one who can help them here and now as part of a title-contending rotation.
Wrote Swartz:
Stevens would be a nice low-cost get, as the 6’6″, 230-pound forward is a versatile defender and instant energy player off the bench. The 24-year-old showed real growth with the Cavs this season and would fit in well with Miami’s player development system while backing up P.J. Tucker.
Stevens averaged 6.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per contest as a second-year pro, with shooting splits of 49-28-71. He took his game to a new level down the stretch, though, averaging 10.8 points and 4.3 boards over Cleveland’s last 12 games while shooting 53% from the floor.
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The Heat Could Probably Get More for Yurtseven
Although the opportunity to show out hasn’t always been there for Yurtseven, the 23-year-old has definitely made the most of the run that he has been afforded by Erik Spoelstra.
Over a 10-game span from late December to mid-January, Yurtseven averaged 13.6 points, 13.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.0 steals per contest. Meanwhile, he connected on 54.5% of his shots. The Heat were 7-3 over that stretch, capturing a blowout win over the Suns in Phoenix along the way.
There’s a real belief that the seven-footer could put up those kinds of numbers on a regular basis if given consistent playing time alongside topline talent. That may not ever happen in Miami, but if he’s truly that kind of player, the Heat may be better off using him as part of a package to lure another superstar.
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