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Just ahead of the NBA trade deadline and then, later, during the post-buyout period that followed, fans and pundits alike pontificated on the possibility that the Miami Heat might add a veteran point guard to their mix.
Sure, there were needs to address in the frontcourt, but with Kyle Lowry seemingly fading from the picture, there appeared to be a need for another floor general, too.
To that end, Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley were both linked to the South Beach crew (before they signed with the LA Clippers and Chicago Bulls, respectively). And, among the Heat faithful, there was a yearning to bring Goran Dragic back into the fold, too.
In the end, the Heat decided to bank on Lowry’s return to the lineup (or Gabe Vincent’s ability to cover for him?). That said, they were apparently ready to pounce on another multi-time All-Star in the event that he asked out of his current situation.
East GM Tells Heavy Sports That the Heat Had Eyes for Derrick Rose
Right up until the Association’s deadline for players to be released and still be playoff eligible with their new clubs, Derrick Rose‘s name frequently recurred on the hoops blogosphere as someone who could end up leaving his current club, the New York Knicks.
Ultimately, the former league MVP didn’t seek a contract buyout, despite the fact that he has been out of Tom Thibodeau’s rotation for several months. Had the two sides parted ways, though, one Eastern Conference GM says that the Heat would have factored into the race to secure his services.
“Golden State was ready to get in the mix there, too, and Miami. He would have had some really good options,” the GM told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney.
At this point, it’s hard to say what Rose might have been able to offer the Heat. In 27 appearances this season, the veteran has averaged 5.6 points, 1.7 assists and 1.5 rebounds in just 12.5 minutes per contest. It may have been more than what they’ve been getting from Vincent — who’s averaging 5.0 PPG and 1.8 APG over his last four games — though.
In any case, the GM believes that Rose could already be plotting out his post-basketball path, which may have played into his decision to stay put.
“Derrick’s loyal, he is loyal to Thibs, he is loyal to [Knicks official William Wesley]. But they would have been OK with letting him go somewhere else. He did not want to. You have to wonder if he is going to keep playing much longer because he was in a position to reconstruct the end of his career and he just did not take it.”
Heat Move Up in NBA Power Rankings
The folks over at Bleacher Report just updated their NBA power rankings and despite the fact that the club has lost three games in five tries — including a heartbreaker against the Cleveland Cavaliers — it actually moved up two spots from No. 13 to No. 11.
Wrote B/R’s Andy Bailey:
0 CommentsIt may be a little early to pull the plug on the Kevin Love experiment. In theory, his three-point shooting and rebounding should help the starting five, but the old group was doing just fine.
On the season, Miami is plus-7.5 points per 100 possessions when Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Caleb Martin are all on the floor. Butler and Adebayo have only played 127 minutes with Love, but that trio’s net rating is minus-5.3.
A few good stretches could flip that second number, but Miami might be better served leaning into the defense-first, gritty approach of the previous starting group.