Getty Miami Heat president Pat Riley could take the team in a number of directions this offseason.
The Miami Heat could take their upcoming offseason in any number of directions this week, starting with how the team approaches Wednesday’s draft. There has been ample speculation that team president Pat Riley will ship out star wing Jimmy Butler, after an injury-marred season and Butler’s known desire for a contract extension the Heat don’t want to pay.
That move would see Miami evolve into a team built more around center Bam Adebayo and give up on the current iteration of the Butler-Bam Heat, which reached the NBA Finals in 2020 and again in 2023, but did not win a championship.
There’s a world, too, though, in which the Heat attempt to make one more run at a ring with Butler in place, extension or not. In that world, though, the Heat will need to be aggressive on the trade market in an attempt to bolster the team’s rotation and defense.
One player who could fit the bill: Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, who is eminently obtainable these days.
Miami Heat Could Trade Away Tyler Herro
Murray is not quite a perfect fit for the Heat’s needs, but Miami must consider how easy it would be to bring him in as part of their trade deliberations. There are other suitors for Murray, if and when the Hawks get serious about moving him, so the Heat would need a bit of luck. They’ve gotten some already, as one potential team that had interest in Murray—the Knicks—made their big move on Tuesday night, getting Mikal Bridges from the Nets.
“They can do a straight trade of Tyler (Herro) for Murray, if they are willing to send the picks,” one NBA executive told Heavy Sports this week. “Is Atlanta going to want three picks? If the Heat can do Herro with two picks, that is probably the sweet spot. Murray gives you a guy who can play two ways, who can run your offense and lay off the ball if he needs to.”
One caveat that the exec offered though: The acquisition of Terry Rozier at least year’s trade deadline, and the willingness of Miami to take on his $51 million of remaining salary over the next two years, could put a damper on the Heat’s willingness to add another point guard.
Rozier would make sense as a sixth man supersub type, but the Heat would have to be comfortable with the notion of playing Murray and Rozier together for significant stretches.
Dejounte Murray’s $114 Million Contract a Value Deal
In the end, a trade of Herro and two first-round picks (the Heat can’t send out picks until 2029 and 2031) for Murray might not be enough for Atlanta, unless the market on Murray turns out to be especially dry. Both Murray and Trae Young are expected to be on offer for the Hawks, but Murray’s contract and two-way ability make him the better trade option for a team like the Miami Heat (or just about any other team, for that matter).
Murray was not a great defender with the Hawks for the past two seasons, but at 6-foot-5 and with his athleticism, he can be—he was an All-Defense second-team selection in 2018, and an All-Star in 2021-22, when he was the runner-up for the league’s Most Improved Player award.
Murray averaged 22.5 points, 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds last year, shooting 45.9% from the field and a so-so 36.3% from the 3-point line.
At $25.5 million for the 2024-25 season, Murray is just entering a reasonably priced four-year, $114 million extension, part of the reason he is coveted around the NBA.