In the latest edition of AllUCanHeat’s Miami Heat roundtable, the staff talks about whether or not the organization is still heading in the right direction.
Let’s get it out there in the open: who are you dying for the Miami Heat to trade for?
Logan Banker: Personally, I would love for the Miami Heat to be able to acquire Bradley Beal. He reportedly never asked for a trade from the Washington Wizards, but if they still aren’t one of the eight playoff teams come late January, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them entertain dealing Beal. Beal is a great scorer and shooter, who would open up the offense a lot for the Heat. Most importantly, though, I think the Heat could put in a good offer for Beal that wouldn’t include Josh Richardson, which would give the Heat a dynamic duo offensively.
Rich Nurse (@followthepen): There is no player that I am dying for the Heat to trade for that is available. However, I would love for them to make some type of move, to prove that the organization has a pulse after this run of comfort in mediocrity.
Rohan Campbell (@theboyro): Bradley freaking Beal. He’s only 25, with a somewhat friendly contract ($25 million this season, $27 million for 2019-20 and $28 million for 2020-21), and more importantly, he’s not John Wall. Wall’s new contract doesn’t even start until next season, so we would be looking at at least $37 million each of the next four seasons. No thanks. If the Heat were to trade, say, Rodney McGruder and/or Wayne Ellington, and slide Beal into the starting lineup, his shooting would definitely impact the Heat.
Rahmeaun Rahming (@Boneman9000): I’m not sure if the front office has a particular someone in mind. I’m not even sure if they’re looking, to be honest. They have to know a trade is necessary, but I think we’re looking at the wrong end game here. The question we should be asking here is ‘what’ are the Heat dying to trade for? Draft picks. In the next two upcoming drafts, the Heat only have an opportunity to grab two players, since they traded away their second-round pick in the 2019 and 2020 drafts. The team needs to make sure to get a couple, and need to find some good talent before 2021, where their first round pick is owned by the Phoenix Suns.
Do you still think this team will make the playoffs?
Banker: I strongly believe the Heat will still make their way into the playoffs. We’re still just around 25 percent through the season, and there’s been a lot of moving parts so far which has made it tough for the team to truly get on a roll. Dion Waiters (eventually) will come back and provide a nice spark offensively, and James Johnson is still getting his feet wet in his return. Plus, teams like the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons, who currently would be in the playoffs, are unlikely to keep up this level of play. Each year we see a select few teams get off to hot starts and then crash back to Earth, and that should be the case with both teams, which would open up a spot for the Heat.
Nurse: I actually expect the Heat to miss the playoffs, if the team stays as constructed. Killing the myth that Heat Culture alone leads to winning, will be the only way to push the thoughts of management in a different direction.
Campbell: Sigh. Unfortunately, not right now. We still haven’t seen this team completely healthy and there still isn’t a full time back up point guard on the roster. Will Waiters even play this season? How long will it take for him to get his game going again? So many questions, so little answers…
Rahming: I’m going to channel my inner Rick Flair for this one and say, “Wooooo” Maybe? There’s a chance that president Pat Riley decides to blow the roster up, which would ensure the team misses the playoffs. But on the other hand, there’s a chance that Waiters comes back from injury before the trade deadline, thus making our starting five Goran Dragic, Waiters, Richardson, Johnson/Kelly Olynyk, and Hassan Whiteside. I’m basically giving the Heat two months to show they have what it takes, because if they look bad at the deadline, the dynamite will come out.
Be honest… did the front office get fleeced by Dion Waiters?
Banker: In short terms, yes the Heat got fleeced by Waiters, but I think the conversation with him goes much deeper than that. Waiters has obviously missed the majority of last season and all of this season so far, and is nearly already halfway through his four-year, $52 million contract. However, the Heat agreed to these terms with Waiters knowing that his ankle was an issue and were aware of the possibility of needing surgery. When Waiters is healthy and playing like himself, he brings a mentality to the team that not many players in this league, let alone the team, have. Waiters is the type of player who refuses to lose and truly believes he is the best player on the court, when he is mentally and physically right. The Heat won’t necessarily get what they thought they would get from Waiters, but I still believe he is a valuable asset for this team.
Nurse: Not at all. The front office let feeling “desperation” cloud their judgement. They knew that Waiters was hurt and still paid him. And even if they thought he could heal well without surgery, they still overpaid someone who was only able to play half a season for them; an issue that Riley openly questioned, but still ignored.
Campbell: Yep. I can’t blame Waiters for having surgery. It’s nothing like Chandler “The Finesse King” Parsons, who plays like 10-20 games a season (no lie). I just don’t understand why Waiters isn’t playing yet. What does it say that the Heat were the only team to offer Waiters a multi-year deal? This is what happens when you give “hard workers,” their just due. Yes, it sounds bad, but this team is currently mediocre and showing no signs of improvement.
Rahming: That’s a funny question since the only time I think of fleeced and basketball at the same time is the Boston Celtics trades with both the Brooklyn Nets and Suns. With an average salary of $13 million, there’s no way the Heat got fleeced on this deal. Waiters seemed to be doing perfectly well within the Heat organization, and the team wanted to retool and not tank. They thought the struck gold here, but possibly only struck silver due to injury, even though they knew what they were getting into in terms of his injury history. So far on his new deal, Waiters has only played in 30 of the possible 106 games. The Heat need to decide quickly if they are going to trade him whether he comes back this season or not… Obviously, the value is higher if he’s healthy at the deadline but if he’s not, they should still trade him.
And lastly, is the so-called youth movement working?
Banker: The record isn’t pretty, but the youth movement is still progressing towards being a success. Richardson has emerged as a go-to scorer offensively, and a top of the line defender. Bam Adebayo in limited time has shown that he can be just as dominant as Whiteside, but he is even more athletic than him. Justise Winslow is a tough player to figure out, but he is still just 22-years-old and has plenty of time to refine his game, and has shown that he is a great defender and a good ball handler. The Heat don’t have a star player that puts those guys into roles where they would be able to come in waves and be even more efficient, but over time, these guys will only pan out to be even more of a success.
Nurse: The youth movement is sort of working. Richardson is coming into his own, averaging 19.7 points per game, McGruder is making a push for the most improved top 10 and Adebayo has shown flashes. On the flip side, Whiteside and head coach Erik Spoelstra still do not seem to get along, and Winslow still cannot finish. The youth movement is just as confusing as the front office.
Campbell: It sure looks like it. 25-year-old Richardson is excelling at being the man. 21-year-old Adebayo is out hustling his opposition. 22-year-old Winslow just had a season high 20 points, on 7-for-8 shooting from the field. 27-year-old McGruder has proven that he isn’t just a shooter. There’s not a reason for guys like Johnson and Whiteside (yeah, I said it) to play more than the young bucks. Let’s hope this continues and maybe some trades will go down?
Rahming: Working to what effect? They’re getting minutes and fighting the battles, but they’re still only on a rental. With Waiters and Dragic waiting in the wings, the true youth of the team has only been borrowing the car. Everyone drives a lot more carefully when they don’t own the car. Same here on this Heat team. The youth have been driving the car almost exclusively, and have gotten off to a poor start, but the organization says they want to compete. Given what team officials say in public, I’d have to say the youth movement is not working, because they’re losing and falling in the standings almost every day. But from an analytical standpoint, it’s going great. The team is in contention for a top 5 pick, while waiting for the cap sheet to clear up. What else could you ask for?
Carry on.