The Miami Heat made a move on Thursday. Right at the NBA Trade Deadline it seemed, they came away with a guy that they have been linked to for some time now.
With the Houston Rockets in tow, the pair were able to strike a deal that would send Victor Oladipo to the Miami Heat for Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk and a 2022 pick swap. Basically, if the Rockets have a lower pick than Miami does, somehow, then they hold the rights to swap that pick.
That leads right into the first reason why this was a brilliant deal for Pat Riley and the Miami Heat. It should be simple based on the above details.
They Didn’t Give Up A Ton
As long as the Miami Heat didn’t give up any real assets and they didn’t, then this would always be a home run of a deal if they could get it done. With a high likelihood of Oladipo choosing Miami in the offseason, it didn’t make sense to give up players that could have been playing with him to get him, when again, there was a high likelihood it was an exercise in redundancy.
Alls well that ends well though and this one did that. That’s the first reason this was a brilliant deal for the Miami Heat.
Why Miami Heat Made Brilliant Deal For Victor Oladipo: Contending Again This Year
The Miami Heat made a run in the NBA Bubble last season. By now, a ton of people have probably forgotten about that.
That’s especially with the way that the Miami Heat started the season. Though they made a run and a streak of things a few weeks back, their last five games have been a major struggle, as they have dropped them all.
Helps Them Continue To Contend Again Now
Though they would have gotten things back on track at some point, is the righteous belief, the struggles they’ve endured combined with the toll it’s taken on Jimmy Butler, at times, can be a bit much to overcome. Getting some more help into the fold to take the load off of him will surely help.
On top of that though, Oladipo helps fill other needs. While he’s only shooting 33 percent from downtown this season, he has traditionally been a decent to good long-ball shooter.
Then there is also his ability to flat out score and get to the hole when he wants to. Not only did the Miami Heat need a point guard type, which Oladipo is and can be, but they needed a guy who could go get a bucket or make something happen off of the dribble by himself.
They filled that need with Victor Oladipo. That’s the second reason why this was a brilliant move for Pat Riley and the Miami Heat.
They filled needs that help them continue upon their path of competing and contending again for a title this season.
Why Miami Heat Made Brilliant Deal For Victor Oladipo: A Thorough Look-See For Next Season
As mentioned earlier, the Miami Heat and Victor Oladipo have been linked for some time and there was a running thought in the NBA rumor-sphere that Oladipo would eventually end up in Miami. He’s a free-agent after the season, so the thought was that he would go on his own.
Well, at that point, the Miami Heat would need to immediately gather all of the information they can about him before making a decision on the long-term investment that he would surely be. For a guy with his medical history and past, that would surely include a quick yet deep-dive into his medicals.
They Get To Check His Health Out Over A Long Period Of Time
ESPN Front Office Insider, Bobby Marks, lays it out perfectly here.
One of the great benefits of Miami acquiring Victor Oladipo is that the medical staff gets their hands on him and can evaluate before he hits free agency.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) March 26, 2021
The outcome will likely determine if Oladipo is a rental or part of the future.
Having him in your building for the rest of the season is a prime opportunity if you are the Miami Heat. Not only do you actually get to see where he is now, physically and health wise, but you get to see how wear and tear in your system and said recovery/maintenance programs look on him.
It’s basically the ultimate test drive. If you are Pat Riley, you couldn’t have asked for a better situation.
The Miami Heat got a lot better over the last week or so with all of their moves. This though, is why this move in particular, was a brilliant one for Miami.