Analyst Implores Heat to be Ambitious in Free Agency, Target Former Lottery Pick

TJ Warren, Miami Heat

Getty TJ Warren, Miami Heat

The Miami Heat have never been a team to rest on their laurels; they’re constantly looking for ways to improve, be it via a trade for a star or a low-key pick-up in free agency.

Duncan Robinson’s struggles through the current post-season have also gone some way towards highlighting a slight flaw in the team’s roster construction – they need a more reliable wing to back up their starting unit.

It’s clear that Robinson has lost the faith of Erik Spoelstra and the coaching staff. While there’s still every chance he can rediscover the form that saw him sign a multi-year $90 million deal last summer, it’s fair to expect Miami to begin searching for a replacement.

Enter T.J. Warren, the three-level scoring wing currently under contract with the Indiana Pacers but will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current season. And according to Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale, the Heat should be willing to make an ambitious move of trying to tempt the North Carolina native to South Beach ahead of next season.

“Warren could become a real priority depending on how the rest of Miami’s offseason shakes out. Oladipo and Caleb Martin (restricted) are both free agents. So is Markieff Morris, who has barely played since returning from a neck injury. Duncan Robinson is also in the throes of a down year and basically out of the playoff rotation at this writing.

Stir in the expected 15 to 25 annual absences from Jimmy Butler, not to mention Tucker’s ability to test free agency, and Miami will invariably have minutes to spare on the wings. A healthy Warren would look good filling them,” Favale wrote in a recent article.


Warren’s Injury History is Concerning

Warren has participated in four games since 2020, with the two-year anniversary of his last outing fast approaching. So, any team that extends him a contract offer during the summer will be doing so knowing that they’re taking a risk.

Looking beyond his two-year injury absence, Warren has always struggled to remain healthy throughout a full NBA season. In his six years of active play (before the current injury layoff), he only participated in more than 60 games on three occasions.

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Miami has two aging stars in Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler, and that means there will be certain points of the season where one or both of those players are unavailable for selection due to rest or load management. The idea behind adding Warren to the rotation is that the Heat has another scoring threat to call upon when Butler is out of the lineup, but that means they would have to be confident that Warren’s injury issues are firmly behind him.

But, if the three-level scoring wing can return from injury and remain healthy, he would be a fantastic addition to a contending team’s bench due to his ability to space the floor, drive the lane, and defend high-level wings on the perimeter.


Would Miami do a Deal

If Warren had never sustained his injuries and continued to produce at a high level for the Pacers, he would likely be a star of this year’s free agency class. As such, any team that believes in his ability to stay healthy and reach close to his previous level of production will have serious interest in adding him to their roster ahead of next season.

As such, you can expect a host of contenders to show interest in adding the veteran scorer. Teams such as the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks could all do with an additional scoring wing off the bench to shore up their rotations.

When healthy, Warren is a reliable three-point shooter who was averaging a 41.4% conversion rate during the two seasons before his injury issues began. The North Carolina State product is also a valuable scorer on the interior who is consistently one of the better wing finishers around the rim and within the mid-range.

Adding Warren would help cement the Heat’s bench rotation and give them additional shooting without compromising their defensive principles. Unlike Robinson, Warren will give you impactful minutes across the entire court, which could ease some of the pressure on Butler, Lowry, and Bam Adebayo in terms of shot creation and play finishing.

Of course, should Miami decide to acquire Warren, that would likely be the end of the road for Robinson, but considering he’s struggling for floor time right now, that might be the best outcome for all concerned parties.

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