What It Means For The Heat
The Miami Heat would have skipped a year of waiting and gotten their third All-Star on the team in the form of Joel Embiid. Yes, sacrifices had to be made but as the Sixers found out this season, if everyone is untouchable then the phones won’t ring.
Yes, there are questions surrounding the fit of Embiid, but we’re talking about arguably the best big man in the league right now. Surely, Coach Of The Year candidate Erik Spoelstra can figure it out, right?
With this move, the transformation from Waiters Island to Eastern Conference juggernaut would potentially be complete. Even with a potential void at the point guard position, the starting lineup would include Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Joel Embiid.
With the heavy dosage of dribble handoffs baked into the Miami Heat’s playbook, very rarely do they have current starter Kendrick Nunn bring the ball up. That duty is often carried out by Butler or Adebayo. No need to break up a good thing.
The Heat could chance another starting-caliber shooter like Joe Harris, Bryn Forbes, or the next excellent Heat prospect that they find. Of course, Andre Iguodala is already set to return, but Miami will surely need to negotiate contracts with newly acquired wing-man Jae Crowder and current sixth man Goran Dragic. The Miami Heat will most definitely like to have them back.
The Heat will also need to factor in the new contract they’re going to give to Derrick Jones Jr. I didn’t factor it in here because I simply don’t know what his market is going to be this summer, but I’m sure Miami will do what they can to keep him in the fold at a respectable number.
Miami will have roughly $16.1 million to spend on free agents and Jones Jr. before going over the cap to re-sign Dragic and Crowder using Bird Rights. Even after taking on Mike Scott’s $5 million expiring contract , the Heat would end this trade below the cap for the first time in forever and would not be flirting dangerously close to the hard cap like they did the 2019-20 season.
Of course, it’s a pipe dream, but just imagine all the Heat’s normal built-in dribble handoffs with Adebayo and Duncan Robinson on the strong side of the court, all while another proven shooter is on the week side getting an off-ball screen from Joel Embiid. “We got Shooters”!