Miami has been the subject of numerous trade rumors and scenarios during the season but makes no additions to the squad before today’s 3:00 PM ET deadline. The Heat is among the biggest losers due to the idle day at the deadline. There were more than enough players available who could have significantly impacted the Miami Heat’s current team. Along with the various reports that Miami has been interested in certain players for months, the day ended with not even a single deal to show.
“Extremely poor deadline for the Miami Heat, who have not added a single player since Lowry/Morris/Tucker/Martin two offseasons ago (excluding the draft). You had a great chance to keep creating around Bam and Jimmy, but you could not.”
“The Miami Heat is one of only three NBA teams that did not make a player or draft pick during the deadline. Since the previous deadline, they are the only ones who haven’t (excluding the draft). Instead, they mismanaged several assets by trading Dedmon and a pick.
Disappointed.”
Yes, the Heat successfully offloaded Dewayne Dedmon earlier this week, but all they received in return was cash. In addition, Pat Riley had to let go of a second-round pick to release Dedmon. Undoubtedly not ideal given that there are now available roster positions and a bit more financial room to get some help. Among many others, John Collins and Jarred Vanderbilt are two men who might have been the finest fit.
Reunions with men like Kelly Olynyk and Jae Crowder, both of which were quite probable, may have also been excellent. It must be painful for Crowder, in particular, to join a playoff foe in the Milwaukee Bucks after being linked to Heat rumors since the offseason. It’s no secret that the Heat intended to strengthen the front court and make a play for a power forward and backup big, and some of those names could have been significant acquisitions.
Reunions with men like Kelly Olynyk and Jae Crowder, both of which were quite probable, may have also been excellent. It must be painful for Crowder to join a playoff foe in the Milwaukee Bucks after being linked to Heat rumors since the offseason. It’s no secret that the Heat intended to strengthen the front court and make a play for a power forward and backup big, and some of those names could have been significant acquisitions.
The buyout market is the only thing Heat supporters can anticipate now that the trade deadline has come and gone. Teams can sign unsigned players almost like free agents during this time for a discounted rate. There are a lot of viable solutions available.
There are undoubtedly more of these than others that are more realistic. Players like Patrick Beverley, John Wall, Serge Ibaka, Nerlens Noel, and Russell Westbrook have all been mentioned in Heat rumors. Beverley would fit in nicely here since the culture favors players who are defensive specialists and hard workers. The Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly quite interested in bringing him back, though. A backup center role for Noel and Ibaka to play alongside Adebayo may be nice.
Additionally, it was reported that former MVP Russell Westbrook would be very interested in signing with the Heat on the buyout market.
He offers a lot of passion and great defensive skills, so that he might be another grizzled hard worker.
He can be a playmaker and set up shooters for simpler three-pointers.
Even Terrence Ross and Reggie Jackson might be intriguing.
Two players might probably improve Miami’s 3-point shooting.
Another team interested in Westbrook’s services is the LA Clippers. The problem is that the Clippers recently acquired Eric Gordon and Bones Hyland in trades made before the deadline. That team may have already taken care of its guard positional needs with those picks. Westbrook is a powerful personality to bring into the locker room, even though he occasionally has flashes of the player he once was and is a serviceable player.
Despite everything, Westbrook is still a talent that has managed to fit in with the Lakers this season and put up 15.9 PPG, 7.5 APG, 6.2 RPG, and 1.0 STL in a challenging environment. It will be exciting to see whether the Heat front staff decides to add someone from the buyout or if they are genuinely dedicated to making this roster competitive. Furthermore, it needs to be clarified what Kyle Lowry’s future position will be on this squad.
Overall, the NBA trade deadline this year was a lost opportunity.