The ink hasn’t dried on the Trevor Ariza trade, yet there are new rumblings that the Miami Heat might go back to the same well. The Oklahoma City Thunder are longshots to make the playoffs and appear to be sellers at the trade deadline. And Mike Muscala is an interesting name to watch.
Muscala (6-foot-10, 240 pounds) is a sharpshooting center on a low-cost, expiring contract ($2.3 million base salary, per Spotrac). He has already been phased out of the rotation in Oklahoma City as head coach Mark Daigneault experiments with young big men like Moses Brown and Isaiah Roby. That means Muscala is expendable and the 29-year-old is enjoying a resurgent year, averaging 9.7 points per game while shooting 37% from deep.
The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson mentioned Muscala and Sacramento’s Nemanja Bjelica as two options for the Heat at the deadline. Muscala would be the cheaper option since he falls under the disabled player exception which gives the Heat until April 19 to sign or trade for a player making no more than $4.7 million. Bjelica is the better player of the two, but he’s due $7.2 million. Here’s how Jackson explained the rule:
The Heat has until April 19 to sign a player earning no more than $4.7 million or trade for a player in the final year of his contract who’s earning no more than that. That money seems more likely to be spent on the buyout market if used at all, with DeMarcus Cousins still an option (though some in the organization are very much opposed to that) and Aldridge if the Spurs can’t trade him and decide to release him instead.
Mike Muscala is going to help a contender win games.
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The Thunder may be inclined to throw in shooting guard George Hill as part of a package deal for Muscala. The 34-year-old is a lethal three-point shooter who led the league from deep (46%) last year. He’s averaging 11.8 points and 3.1 assists per game this year while shooting 38.6% from beyond the arc. He’s due $10 million next season at age 35, but he’s only partially guaranteed $1.27 million, per The Oklahoman.
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Getting Contract Done For Duncan Robinson
Duncan Robinson becomes a restricted free agent at the end of the 2020-21 season, so contract negotiations are likely to start to heat up in South Beach. Robinson is one of the best long-range shooters in the league, averaging 12.8 points per game this year while shooting 38.9 percent deep.
According to Five Reasons Sports Network, the Heat are having an internal debate about how much the Michigan product is worth. It was reported earlier this year that Robinson could fetch between $15 to $20 million annually on his next deal. That’s a huge pay bump for a guy making roughly $1.6 million right now.
Duncan Robinson is the fastest to 400 three-point FGs in NBA history BY THIRTY-FOUR GAMES!
Trevor Ariza Set to Make Miami Heat Debut
The Heat (22-19) returns to action on Friday night against the Indiana Pacers (17-22) at 8 p.m. in Miami. Jimmy Butler’s name wasn’t listed on the early injury report, but Andre Iguodala was officially marked questionable for the game.
Avery Bradley (calf) and Udonis Haslem (health and safety protocols) were both ruled out. Meanwhile, newcomer Trevor Ariza was cleared from COVID-19 testing and will make his Miami debut. The franchise has high hopes for the multi-talented Ariza and hopes he can fill the Jae Crowder role from last year.
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Miami Heat Pursuing Another Thunder Veteran in Trade Talks?