The Miami Heat might have a chance to land Duncan Robinson this offseason to improve the new roster led by Giannis Antetokounmpo. Miami took a huge risk by trading a handful of draft picks and four talented players to the Milwaukee Bucks to land a two-time MVP. However, the roster now lacks depth and clearly needs more help throughout the rest of the offseason before Giannis can realistically dream about contending for an NBA Championship.
NBA insider Brett Siegel reported that Robinson to Miami is picking up steam due to moves made by Duncan’s current team:
“With the Detroit Pistons bringing Kevin Huerter back and also trading for Isaiah Joe, it looks increasingly likely that Duncan Robinson’s contract, which is only partially guaranteed for $2M, will be waived. If this happens, a reunion with Miami would make a lot of sense for Robinson.”
Siegel cited moves made by the Detroit Pistons to imply why he feels they don’t plan to keep Robinson. Kevin Huerter’s new contract and the important trade landing Isaiah Joe from the Oklahoma City Thunder sees two players secured to play Robinson’s position. Miami would be able to take advantage of Robinson hitting the free agent market to boost their limited roster.
Why Miami Heat Fans Want Duncan Robinson
Both the past accomplishments and the ability to contribute to future success make it obvious why Robinson and the Heat are a good fit together. Robinson played a noteworthy role in Miami making two NBA Finals appearances and falling one win short of a third trip.
Heat fans loved Robinson for breaking out from basically a nobody into a sharpshooting rotation player. Robinson had strong chemistry with current All-Star Bam Adebayo and respected Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra to warrant bringing him back into the fold after a good season in Detroit.
Tyler Herro getting traded for Giannis will open up more opportunities for Robinson since he felt out of place behind other shooters at the end of his Heat tenure. Miami badly needs some outside shooters capable of making three pointers. The current core of Antetokounmpo, Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins all lack the outside shooting touch.
Sign & Trade May Be More Realistic
Detroit benefited from Robinson’s shooting to help them become a one seed this season, but the team fell apart in the postseason without enough offense. Offseason rumors have seen the Pistons linked to almost every noteworthy scorer in their price range.
Waiving Robinson was suggested by Siegel since it gives Detroit more cap space to add another name, but they could also opt for a trade. Miami could pull off a sign and trade that sends Norman Powell to the Pistons as a new sixth man in exchange for Robinson.
The waiving scenario is obviously a lot better for the Heat since they’d be able to sign Robinson at a cheaper price than his current $15 million contract. However, there are other options out there for Miami to trade for Robinson. Considering how much they need the shooting, Robinson should be a top priority to Pat Riley.
Miami Heat Linked To Bringing Back Popular Fan Favorite