Getty Duncan Robinson, Miami Heat
The Eastern Conference continues to improve throughout the off-season and the Miami Heat seem to have gotten slightly worse.
As such, there’s a high possibility that we see Pat Riley begin to look around the league for potential trade partners, if for no other reason than to give his franchise an added boost on the offensive end.
According to Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney, the Heat could be tempted into striking a deal for Utah Jazz sharpshooter, Malik Beasley, assuming the price is right.
Today, like basically any day, is a great day to sign Michael Beasley @MiamiHEAT
“Beasley is not the shooter that Robinson is, but he is a very good 3-point threat, and has shot 38.6% from the arc in his career. He is also a much better defensive player, which means that the Heat won’t have to remove him from the rotation if his shot is not falling the way the team did with Robinson.
The Jazz might hold out for a first-rounder for Beasley, but that is not likely to happen. Bringing in Robinson and Yurtseven is not a bad consolation prize. Robinson is in the second of a five-year, $90 million contract, which is a weighty deal and can be flipped down the line, especially if he recovers his shooting stroke,” Deveney wrote in his September 9 article.
Beasley has only recently joined the Jazz after being included as part of the Rudy Gobert deal, yet, it’s clear that Utah agreed to that package due to the enormous amount of draft picks included – meaning they may be open to moving on from Beasley for some additional young talent.
What Does Beasley Bring to The Tabel?
Beasley ended last season with averages of 12.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 37.7% from deep and 43.2% from inside the perimeter. Yet, unlike Duncan Robinson, Beasley can score both as a movement shooter, or while spotting up – as Instat’s tracking data has him attacking from a stationary catch-and-shoot on 30.7% of his entire offense last season.
Furthermore, according to Cleaning The Glass, Beasley also boasts a reliable floater game, converting 39% of his looks between five and fourteen feet from the basket. As such, we can expect the six-foot-five wing to be comfortable attacking close-outs by putting the ball on the floor and applying some pressure to his opponent’s rim defense.
Malik Beasley has just set the Timberwolves franchise record (11) for threes in a single game. And some cele.
Speaking of defense, Beasley is a reliable rotation player who seldom gives up cheap fouls – in fact, the 25-year-old wing was called on just 1.7% of his defensive possessions last season, ranking him in the 99th percentile among wings.
In terms of overall impact, it’s worth noting that the Timberwolves were two points per 100 possessions better with Beasley on the floor, as the team’s defense took a slight dip when he went to the bench or was unavailable for selection. Of course, two points per 100 isn’t a huge impact, but it’s certainly an improvement over what Robinson has been offering on that side of the floor.
Miami Urged to Overhaul Roster
This off-season has been just short of a disaster for Miami. After losing veterans Markieff Morris and PJ Tucker, the Heat are now lacking some much-needed size in the back-court, and right now, their only notable addition is rookie Nikola Jovic.
According to Heavy.com’s Steve Bulpett, Miami may need to consider overhauling their entire roster, as right now, they’re not built to compete in an ever-strengthening Eastern Conference.
“I’d be surprised if Miami sticks with the 14 it has all the way through. I guess it could happen but I don’t see it. I think they need to maintain some flexibility. If they are not going to go over the luxury tax or risk going over the luxury tax, then I don’t see them being—how are they going to contend if they don’t? I don’t think, as currently constituted, Miami has addressed its need for size,” Bulpett said in a recent discussion with Sean Deveney.
Of course, adding Beasley wouldn’t do much for the Heat’s issues in the back-court, but it would help them move off of Robinson’s contract, which could give the team some additional flexibility when maneuvering in the trade market. Yet, as things stand, Miami looks content to see how their current rotation fares before making any decisions, and only time will tell if that’s a wise choice or not.