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With only five players contractually guaranteed to return next season, the Miami Heat need to make a lot big moves and tough decisions in order to rebuild this summer.
While rumors reports have linked the Heat with numerous free agents they could possibly sign this offseason, Bleacher Report‘s Zach Buckley suggests the team restructures through wheeling and dealing with the Orlando Magic.
In Buckley’s proposed trade, Miami receives the underrated guard that is Terrence Ross, along with center Mo Bamba, in exchange for Andre Iguodala, Precious Achiuwa, and KZ Okpala.
While this trade has the Heat giving up way too much, Buckley believes it will provide a fix for Miami’s lackluster offense:
As the Heat go searching for roster reinforcements this summer, they should devote most (if not all) of their time to the offensive end. They had this season’s sixth-worst scoring average (108.1), and when the playoffs tipped, that number dropped more than 10 points per game (98.0).
They need someone who can perk up this offense, and Terrence Ross might be the answer. He’s streaky, but when he’s on, he is electric. He played 46 games this season and finished 15 of them with 20-plus points. Getting his scoring punch and Mo Bamba’s unique blend of length, shot-blocking and flashes of floor-spacing could help the 2020 finalists get back on track.
The Magic Would Have to Sweeten the Deal With Picks
GettyMo Bamba #5 of the Orlando Magic attempts to put up a basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Amway Center on October 23, 2019.
Because Miami is without draft picks this year, and they have no first-round picks for years to come, in order for the Heat to give up two of their top young talent would require some draft picks thrown into the mix.
According to Buckley, receiving Achiuwa and Okpala is better for Orlando than actually getting draft picks. He wrote:
The Magic, meanwhile, are seemingly just waiting out the right return for Ross to complete the liquidation portion of their rebuild. While they aren’t getting draft picks here, they would walk away with last year’s 20th overall pick in Precious Achiuwa and 2019’s 32nd pick in KZ Okpala. Both are potential keepers, and the trade market might offer a chance to convert Andre Iguodala into another long-term keeper or two.
Oh man, this Precious Achiuwa block of Kevin Durant 👀
Another uneven part of the trade is having the Heat give up rookie Achiuwa, who is having a breakout summer playing for the Nigerian Olympic Team.
As for Bamba, his third year in the NBA proved to be a bust. The 23-year-old finished the season averaging 8 points per game and 5.8 rebounds. The Orland Post‘s Garrett Townsend didn’t exactly give the 7-foot center a glowing report card either:
He noticeably lacks for energy and effort. He can be slow up and down the court, even for a center. He can often be caught out of position on defense, whether it’s in terms of ceding post position or falling behind on rotations. He still has a bad habit of not getting his arms up to contest shots. He has an unrefined offensive game closer to the hoop. He has very few examples of game-changing stretches on his current resume.
Miami Herald Proposed a Similar Trade Package to Land Sacramento Kings Forward Marvin Bagley
GettyMarvin Bagley III #35 of the Sacramento Kings in action against the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center on January 13, 2021.
A few weeks ago, Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson suggested a trade proposal for the Heat to obtain Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III, who clearly wants to play for a different team next season. In this proposed trade, the Heat only have to give up one piece of their young talent roster.
Bagley, 22, finished the season averaging 14.1 points on 50.4% shooting and 7.4 rebounds. Since he was drafted in 2018, the Duke alum has averaged 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. Jackson reported, “Bagley has just one season remaining on his contract before he can become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2022. So a trade for Bagley this offseason would not require a long-term commitment to him.”
“With Bagley earning $11.3 million next season, the Kings would be able to take back up to $16.3 million in salaries if it waited until August or later to trade him,” Jackson continued. “The Heat could make a trade work within salary cap rules by including [Andre] Iguodala, who has a $15 million team option in his contract for next season. But the Kings would likely want a younger player in return for Bagley, and Achiuwa or forward KZ Okapala are options, with Achiuwa potentially holding more appeal to the Kings.”
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Proposed Trade Lands Miami Heat With Underrated Magic Guard: B/R