Getty Duncan Robinson looks on during a game between the Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets.
With precious few games remaining on their regular-season slate for 2022-23, the Miami Heat aren’t exactly setting the world on fire. The team has lost three games in four tries heading into its Tuesday bout with the Detroit Pistons. And while Jimmy Butler and Co. are still within striking distance of the No. 6 spot in the East, a trip to the NBA Draft lottery is still very much a possibility.
Even as the Heat’s defense has taken a nose-dive of late — their D-rating of 121.9 since March 16 ranks just 26th league-wide — a lack of potency on the offensive end has arguably been more responsible than anything for the fall from the conference finals to the league’s middle ground.
As former baller JJ Redick put it on a recent episode of his podcast: “The Miami Heat have largely underperformed this season because they can’t shoot threes… like, I really believe that is the only reason. They haven’t gotten efficient production out of [Kyle] Lowry, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Duncan [Robinson]… There’s no one that has shot the ball well…”
However, a trade with the Dallas Mavericks could be just what the doctor ordered to remedy that long-range shortfall.
Trade Proposal Sees Tim Hardaway Jr. & Maxi Kleber Take Their Talents to South Beach
Per a January report from The Basement Sports’ Adam Borai, the Heat and the Mavs had “initial conversations on a deal involving Tim Hardaway Jr.” before the trade deadline. And while nothing came to fruition in the end, we’re going to run with that concept now in an effort to diversify Miami’s perimeter attack.
Here’s the trade we’re proposing to bring the son of former Heat great Tim Hardaway back to his old stomping grounds:
- Dallas Mavericks receive F Duncan Robinson, G Victor Oladipo (player option) and a first-round pick in 2023
- Miami Heat receive G/F Tim Hardaway Jr. and PF Maxi Kleber
While the Heat have paid the price for parting with picks in the past, that particular sacrifice makes sense here as the team finally gets off of Robinson’s dead money and fills his spot with the more versatile Hardaway, who’s averaging 14.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game this season while shooting 38.2% from three-point range.
Kleber, meanwhile, could be an improvement over the version of Kevin Love that Erik Spoelstra is currently rolling with. The Mavs big man is averaging 6.0 points and 3.7 rebounds per game and connecting on 35.5% of his attempts from deep in ’22-23.
These moves don’t do much for Miami’s suddenly scuffling D, but assuming there’s a return to normalcy there, Hardaway and Kleber could bolster the team’s sagging O by giving Butler and Tyler Herro a pair of quality release valves for when opposing fronts collapse on them.
Why the Mavs Make the Deal With the Heat
As it stands, Dallas is one of the few clubs in the Association with fewer draft assets to play around with than the Heat. So, adding a first-rounder in an offseason where their own pick could be headed to the New York Knicks as an outstanding item from the Kristaps Porzingis trade is a win.
There’s also something to be said for Robinson potentially rediscovering his mojo in a new setting, where virtually all of the defensive attention is going to be focused on teammates Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving (assuming the Mavs lock the latter up long-term). Before this season, Robinson logged three straight campaigns of 200-plus three-pointers made.
He could get back to that while playing beside a pair of offensive juggernauts in Jason Kidd’s system.
Oladipo, meanwhile, has lost his rotational spot with the Heat, but he clearly still has game on both ends of the court. Patricularly, on the defensive side, where the Mavs have been as bad as any team in the Association for some time now.