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A healthy Miami Heat team might be almost as good as bringing in some additional help via trade. Almost. Still, it’s always exciting when a team hones in on a player and stays like a dog on a bone trying to bring them in. And it’s possible the Miami Heat might have honed in on a top trade target.
According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, the Heat have been in talks to land Detroit Pistons center Nerlens Noel. The former sixth-overall pick has been shelved by Pistons head coach Dwayne Casey, who has preferred going with Detroit’s cadre of young talent at center.
“League sources, who were granted anonymity so that they could speak freely, have told The Athletic that the Pistons are looking to move the veteran big man. Both sides have agreed that a deal is best for both parties, and Detroit has already had talks with rival teams about Noel. Portland, Sacramento, Miami and Dallas have been the teams most engaged when it comes to acquiring the 28-year-old.”
Noel could provide some nice depth at the five for a Heat team that has relied heavily on Bam Adebayo this season.
Adebayo’s Usage Rate is Sky-High for the Heat
Heat center Bam Adebayo’s usage rate sits at 25.6 percent, which ranks in the 94th percentile of centers this season. It’s not the highest on the team (that honor goes to Tyler Herro), but a usage rate that high suggests two critical factors: first, Adebayo’s been the only reliable star available this season, and second, the Heat could use some depth at the five.
Adebayo has played in 26 games so far this season, second behind Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin. The Heat’s other stars, Butler and Herro, have appeared in just 20 and 18 contests, respectively.
When Butler and Herro are out, the offense necessarily runs through Adebayo, who is Miami’s best option of those remaining. But can Adebayo continue that pace for an entire season? Last year, he struggled mightily with injuries, which might have even cost him bigger All-NBA awards at the end of the season. Adding Noel might relieve some of that pressure from Adebayo, though Noel is far from the talent of Adebayo.
As it stands, Dewayne Dedmon and Haywood Highsmith are Adebayo’s primary foils off the bench. If Miami thinks it could improve by slotting Noel above those two, then why not buy low on the Pistons’ underutilized big?
Mapping Out a Heat-Noel Trade
It’s unclear precisely what the Pistons would value in a trade for Noel. Given Cade Cunningham’s season-ending shin surgery, the team isn’t looking for win-now pieces. Rather, Detroit will likely covet draft capital or future assets of another sort.
Given how turbulent the season has been so far for Miami, the club might be reticent to deal with draft picks. As it stands, Miami owns all of its first-round picks until 2026, but not a second-rounder until then. Is Noel worth a first? Not a chance.
But this is the Miami Heat, a team that’s been no stranger to dealing picks in the past. Perhaps if Detroit is willing to take back a bad Heat contract (looking at you, Duncan Robinson), the Heat could sweeten the pot with a feast-or-famine first-round pick.
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