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Do the Miami Heat have enough assets to improve?

By Richard Nurse

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 24: The Miami Heat celebrate as the play against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 24, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 24: The Miami Heat celebrate as the play against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 24, 2017 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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How many games can the Miami Heat go before deciding that this roster can go no further?

In a league where assets are everything, the Miami Heat are in the midst of not having much to improve their struggling roster. To some, the Heat are underachieving for a team that went 30-11 during the second half of last season. Others see a mediocre team whose record is proof that last year’s 41-41 was their ceiling.

Still, thoughts of reverting to the mean were met with a confident optimism. After all, president Pat Riley spent his few offseason appearances reiterating that Miami had movable parts. You can call it the team’s way of assuring the public that there were no bad contracts being signed.

The problem is, Kelly Olynyk does not get enough playing time to be showcased. No one will take a flyer on an underwhelming, often injured Dion Waiters. And the team could use James Johnson no matter how bad they are. Which pretty much just leaves Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside as the only big money assets left.

Forget about moving Dragic though. The amount of teams in line for starting point guards is very low. So the odds of Miami moving him for a first round pick are slim to none. Which only leaves the option of thinking like the Brooklyn Nets and trading for failed lottery picks and bad contracts.

As for Whiteside?

Critics have been trying to trade him for the last three years. It started because of a lack of maturity, grew louder due to his max contract, then morphed into the pursuit of something new. But ESPN’s Bobby Marks says not so fast:

"“A big reason for Miami’s inconsistent play has been keeping center Hassan Whiteside on the court. A roster shakeup will not help the Heat’s mediocre start but getting Whiteside back to playing like the past two seasons and healthy will be as good of a ‘trade’ that Miami could make.”"

In other words, getting Whiteside right is more important than trying to plant Bam Adebayo in his place.

Sure the rookie is shooting 62.9 percent and excelling on both alley-oops (82.4 percent) and dunks (93.3 percent), as well as stepping out to guard the other team’s pick-and roll wings. However, Whiteside is a proven commodity with the ability to step out further than the rookie.

The bottom line? Whiteside can groom Adebayo without relinquishing his space.

Next: Turning up the Heat: A trip down Miami memory lane

But, if things go south and Riley gives up on his win-now philosophy, Whiteside may be the Heat’s easiest means for blowing things up—to whatever extent they can.

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