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With the February 9 NBA Trade Deadline approaching, rumors surrounding the Miami Heat have began to pile up. The Heat, now sitting at sixth in the Eastern Conference, didn’t get off to an ideal start to the season after last year’s first place finish. They’ve faced a widespread amount of injuries so far, leaving them stuck in the middle of the pack. As the team looks to vault back into contention, there have been plenty of reports about their trade deadline plans.
Most recently, it was not a report but rather speculation from the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. In a January 19 article, Jackson highlighted many different potential trade targets for the Heat. Amongst those mentioned were Zach Collins and Doug McDermott, both of the San Antonio Spurs.
Collins and McDermott have been reliable 3-point shooters for the Spurs this season. The two have respectively shot 37% and 41% from deep.
One of the biggest weaknesses for Miami this season has been their 3-point shooting. They rank 25th in the league, shooting just 33.8% from deep. That’s quite the drop off from last season, when they were the best 3-point shooting team, knocking down 37.9% of their attempts from distance.
Neither player makes an astronomical amount of money either. McDermott is owed $13.7 million next season in the final year of his contract, and Collins’ deal includes a $7.7 million team option.
Jackson pinpointed a few pieces that Miami could ship out in potential deals.
“So essentially, the Heat has two players that it likely would not hesitate to trade — Duncan Robinson (because of his contract) and Dewayne Dedmon — and at least two others who could be offered in the right trade, Caleb Martin and Nikola Jovic,” He wrote. “Miami also could offer one or two protected first-round picks.”
Heat Had Trade for John Collins Shot Down By Hawks: Sources
Another player that Miami has been linked to over the last month or so is John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks.
On January 18, Heavy Sports‘ Sean Deveney reported that the Heat had an offer for Collins shut down by the Hawks.
“They had discussions with Atlanta about John Collins that have since gone dormant, a deal that would potentially send Duncan Robinson and (Caleb) Martin to the Hawks (perhaps with a protected draft pick),” he wrote.
That proposal likely didn’t meet the high standards that the Hawks had reportedly set earlier in the season. Back on January 9 Heavy reported that Atlanta’s asking price for the 25-year-old was steep.
“What you are seeing with Collins now is that the Hawks want him to be treated like an All-Star, they want a big-time return for Collins—not quite like the Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell trades, but something in that neighborhood,” an anonymous Eastern Conference Executive told Heavy Sports.
However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnorowski shared an update on Atlanta’s asking price for Collins on the January 18 edition of NBA Countdown.
“John Collins has been at the center of their trade talks… Starting next year, still owed another $25 million a year, $75 million over the next three years,” Woj said. “I think that’s been a hindrance in the trade market. There are some teams, such as Utah, that would like a draft pick with Collins to offset the money… Landry Fields, the new general manager in Atlanta, he does not see John Collins as a money dump.”
Bam Adebayo Snubbed in 3rd All-Star Voting Return
Unlike the Heat’s 3-point shooting, starting center Bam Adebayo has been a bright spot for the team this season.
He has appeared in 41 of the team’s 46 games, playing 35.1 minutes each time. The 25-year-old is averaging career-high’s in both points per game, at 21.5, and rebounds per game at 10.1 while shooting 54% from the field.
Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, his career-season has not impressed All-Star voters. The third and final fan-voting returns were released on January 19, and Adebayo was not amongst the top-10 most popular Eastern Conference frontcourt players.
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