The Miami Heat entered the offseason with questions and with holes to fill on their team. While they need to become proactive soon in filling those holes, there is always a chance that the or a guy that they bring in, doesn’t fit.
Look no further than the case of Moe Harkless. Brought in to be a wing defender and hit an open shot, you would think, he didn’t last the entirety of the season with the Miami Heat.
By the end of the trade deadline, he was a member of the Sacramento Kings. So, with that and the volatility that comes with bringing new faces into the fold of your organization, is there a fix?
Well, there isn’t a “fix”, as the new players aren’t guaranteed to not fit, just as much as it’s not a guarantee that they do fit. To lessen these chances though, the Miami Heat could bring back one or a few familiar names.
Josh Richardson, Kelly Olynyk, and James Johnson are all set to be free agents this coming offseason… or can be, in Richardson’s case. With the Heat’s need for size, help on both sides along the perimeter, and their continuous desire for multipleness, these guys would fit but of course they do.
The Miami Heat have holes to fill, but why not with some familiar pegs?
Having all played in Miami before, there really aren’t any questions about these guys. In fact, you could go as far as saying this about all three.
When they were moved from Miami, it wasn’t necessarily because the Heat wanted to move them. It actually speaks to their worth, as to get the deals done that Miami made involving the three guys mentioned, they were crucial parts.
The deals that Miami were able to swing, using them as chips in those deals, wouldn’t have been possible without them. Here’s the next question though.
Are all of them worthy of re-signing? You would think so, especially since all of them would already know what is expected of them with the Heat.
The Miami Heat could use guard help, which is where Richardson comes in with his ability to play on or off the ball. Richardson also gives you a bit more shooting along the wings, while providing his ver rock-solid defensive presence.
With a need to get Bam more involved offensively, placing him alongside another strong, versatile, and bouncy forward like James Johnson, at this point in Bam’s development, might be good for him. That same something that everyone loves about Udonis Haslem, Johnson has it too, except for that this could be a chance to get Bam on the court beside it.
When it comes to KO, well, that should be pretty simple. Regardless of what many think or may have thought, he was one of the Miami Heat’s best before being moved this past season.
From an impact on the game perspective and allowing your team to do what they do, he was a key as anyone. The Miami Heat paid for it too once they let him leave, picking back up a bit of that same something when they brought in Dewayne Dedmon, though Dedmon and Olynyk get it done differently.
If it can happen though, how?
The Miami Heat could revisit some familiar faces to fill out their roster for next season.
KO is the first wildcard here. After putting up great numbers with the Houston Rockets after being traded, he increased his value heading into free agency, an admirable place to be.
That situation, as far as what he’s offered, will be something to monitor. Josh Richardson has a player option for this season that would see him earn over $11.6 million.
As unlikely as it is that he opts-out of that money, he only played over 20 minutes once in this past playoff series with Dallas, playing less than 10 minutes per game in the final three. While, again, the over $11 million dollars is enticing, he is set to be a FA, regardless, after the season and may want to get ahead of things when it comes to getting his value back up.
As far as the last one, JJ, he should be able to be had for more than a reasonable deal, cheap even. He played for Dallas this season as well, before being shipped off to New Orleans.
Coming off of down years for the both of them though, what better place to come and revive your value than in a place that has shown to be able to get the best out of you? When you are a team like the Miami Heat, that’s looking to make a coupe of splash moves as well and ones that might cost a few pennies, moves like these are the ones you live for.
Get it done Pat. Get the band back together.