NBA Trade Rumors: Miami Heat targeting Kings’ Omri Casspi
By Wes Goldberg
The Miami Heat are in the market for a shooter, and they could be targeting Sacramento Kings forward Omri Casspi.
On his radio show on 790 The Ticket in Miami, Ethan Skolnick, along with ESPN’s Mike Wallace, said the Miami Heat are interested in adding Sacramento Kings forward Omri Casspi. One player the Kings want in return, they said, is young guard Tyler Johnson. They added that nothing is imminent, but deals have been discussed.
Related Story: Gerald Green needs to step up, or the Heat need a trade
The Heat are in desperate need of perimeter shooting, and Casspi fits the bill. Casspi, 27, is shooting 42.2 percent from 3-point range this season, and is averaging 4.5 attempts per game. Also, at 6-foot-9, 225 pounds, Casspi, a natural small forward, can play some stretch-4 and help the Heat go small.
The obvious problem here is that the Kings want Johnson, a fan favorite and a young guard with lots of potential. Would Miami be willing to part with Johnson for someone who adds a little more flexibility to the lineup?
Swapping Johnson for Casspi would be trading the team’s best 3-point shooter for another 3-point shooter, so the Heat wouldn’t be adding shooting in the long run. Rather, this move would help replace Johnson’s shooting in the lineup, with Johnson possibly missing until the playoffs.
It’s not unlike team president Pat Riley to swap long term promise for immediate help, but with the Heat nearly out of stock on draft picks for the foreseeable future, it’s risky to trade away one of the better young guys on the team.
(Also for that trade to work, the Heat would have to include either Udonis Haslem or Beno Udrih to make the salaries work. They would be giving up too much in that case, in my opinion).
The other option is including Casspi and Johnson is a larger deal. The Heat could add Chris Andersen’s expiring contract and take back a deep bench player from the Kings, of which there are many, or even grab Caron Butler in that deal.
Then there is the blockbuster trade idea involving Kings forward Rudy Gay. The Heat could trade Luol Deng, Andersen and Johnson for Gay and Casspi. The Heat save very minimal money against the luxury tax, but the move certainly improves them in the short term as possible contenders in the Eastern Conference.
More heat: What to expect from the Heat at the trade deadline
All in all, I like the fit of Casspi on the Heat. Is he worth parting with Johnson? I’m not sure, but if Riley can make something work then he can certainly help Miami space the floor.