Getty Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat
It’s late December in the NBA, which means there will be plenty of idle chatter about potential transactions. And in South Florida, that means Miami Heat rumors are starting to get cooking. While Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has this team clicking despite a raft of injuries, there are, no doubt, ways for Miami to improve itself.
There should be a wide range of trade targets available. But, it seems, every option for the Heat comes with an asterisk, some reason or other why it just won’t work in Miami. The contract is too long or expensive, the cost in draft picks is too high, the fit isn’t quite right.
Or, you know … the Heat are defending East champs, playing well and think they can contend with what they’ve got. Take your pick.
A more likely and palatable scenario for Miami could be to pluck a veteran off of the free-agent market. And at Bleacher Report, they’ve got one in mind: five-time All-Star John Wall, who is 33 and has played just 74 games in the last four years. B/R is labeling him a, “sneaky” free agent addition, though it should be pointed out that Wall is a former No. 1 overall pick, and there is not much sneaky about him.
Erik Spoelstra Needs More
Here’s how the writer, Zack Buckley, presents the case for Wall as a viable Miami Heat rumor:
“Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra might be as close as this league has to a miracle-worker, but even he might be over his skis with this (notably Damian Lillard-less) point guard group. Kyle Lowry rarely looks at the basket, Josh Richardson isn’t a natural passer (or a consistent shooter) and Tyler Herro appears to be topping out as a secondary playmaker.
“John Wall would hardly be a cure-all solution, but his resume is about as rich as any you’ll find on the open market.”
Wall does, indeed, have an extensive resume. He also has an extensive injury history. The former Wizards star signed a four-year, $171 million contract extension back in 2017 and suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a fall at home in February 2019, just before that contract kicked in.
Added Buckley: “Granted, the five-time All-Star’s best days are behind him, but he still looks capable of creating for himself and his teammates. Just last season, he averaged 18.4 points and 8.5 assists per 36 minutes. As a change-of-pace point guard, there’s still some pep in his step.”
Miami Heat Rumors: Is John Wall a Fit?
That is all true, and it is a good bet that Wall’s name will resurface in Miami Heat rumors in the coming weeks. But the issue for the Heat, who lost backup point guard Dru Smith to an injury when he fell off the court in Cleveland last month, is whether Wall counts as an improvement on the veteran guy who has been earning Erik Spoelstra trust this season—Kyle Lowry.
Like Wall, Lowry is old (he’s 37) but still has enough veteran know-how to get and stay on the floor. He has been a disappointment in terms of the massive, three-year, $85 million contract the Heat gave him in 2021, but he’s been solid in his role.
Would John Wall be better? Lowry is hitting 44.1% of his 3s this year, where Wall is a career 32.2% 3-point shooter. That’s really what the Heat need off their bench. Now, should the Heat go through with a blockbuster trade and need to ship off Lowry’s contract, Wall could well be one of the first guys they call.
Unless that happens, though, this is a sneaky Miami Heat rumor that is unlikely to come to fruition.