Heat Urged to Target Former Top-5 Pick as Dewayne Dedmon Upgrade

Getty Dewayne Dedmon #21 of the Miami Heat.

With less than a month until the February 9 NBA Trade Deadline, the Miami Heat look like a team that could benefit from bringing in reinforcements. The Heat have had health issues throughout the season, with Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Victor Oladipo, Duncan Robinson, and Gabe Vincent all missing at least 10 games with various injuries. If Miami was to swing a deal to further their depth, it could help them make a push for better playoff positioning.

In a recent article, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz listed a few players that each NBA team should look to target ahead of the deadline. One of the players he suggested that the Heat look into was former fifth-overall-pick Mo Bamba of the Orlando Magic.

“The Heat should think big at first, looking for power forwards who can stretch the floor alongside Bam Adebayo and give this 24th-ranked offense a little more juice,” Swartz wrote.

Bamba signed a new two-year $20.6 million contract to stay in Orlando over the summer. He has appeared in 33 of the team’s 42 games and is playing 18.3 minutes. He’s averaging 7.7 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 49.2% shooting from the floor and 37% shooting from beyond the three-point arc.

Swartz cited Bamba’s ability to knock down shots from distance as well as his shot blocking as reasons for Miami to make a move for him.

An internal reason why the Heat would be smart to bring him in is the current controversy surrounding rotation-center Dewayne Dedmon. Dedmon got into a heated exchange with Head Coach Erik Spoelstra during the team’s January 10 matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The disagreement ended with the big man slapping a massage therapy gun onto the court and subsequently being tossed from the game.

On the season, Dedmon is a team-low -93 over the course of 29 games for the Heat. His 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game aren’t exactly translating to wins. His $4.7 million salary makes him a player that could be thrown into a deal to help make the financials work.

Heat Considered Suitors for John Collins

Another player who was listed in Swartz’s article as a potential Heat target was Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins. He’s a player that has seen his name in trade rumors just about every year since he was drafted.

“Collins is an ideal fit if the Atlanta Hawks would agree to help the Heat. He could solidify the position for years to come and make sure Jimmy Butler doesn’t have to defend fours in the playoffs,” he wrote.

The 25-year-old may not fill all the things that Swartz suggested that Miami needs. This season he’s taken a step back in terms of shooting the three-ball, making just 23.1% of his attempts from distance. His scoring as a whole has been down as well. Collins averages just 13.3 points per game compared to the 16.2 he was good for last season.

Erik Spoelstra Issues Steep Challenge for Heat Fans

Spoelstra tasked the Heat fanbase with a gargantuan goal after he heard that the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors were scheduled to break the NBA attendance record.

“One of these days we’ve got to do something outside and pack 100,000 down here in south Florida,” he said. “Let’s do that. Make that happen.”

A total of 63,592 tickets were sold to the game at the Alamodome on January 13.  That is over 1,000 more than the previous attendance record of 62,046. The original record was set at the Georgia Dome on March 27, 1998, when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls paid a visit to the Atlanta Hawks.