Kendrick Nunn blossomed into a quality NBA player over the course of his rookie season. After going undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat signed him in 2019 and he truly proved he belongs in the league.
Over the last two seasons, Nunn has emerged as a crucial part of Miami’s rotation. He played over 29 minutes per game in both years.
Though he did not put up as many points per game in his sophomore season, he did shoot the ball much more efficiently.
Last season, he averaged 14.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. Nunn shot 48.5% from the field and 38.1% from three-point range.
He was the fourth-highest scorer on the team last year, behind only Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro. He also had the fifth-highest usage rate on the Miami Heat.
It’s undeniable that his scoring has been an integral part of the offense for the last two years. However, Nunn will enter free agency for the first time this offseason.
Nunn is only 25-years-old and has the potential to improve even more throughout his career. There will likely be a huge market for him in free agency.
While the Miami Heat will have a decent amount of cap space, there is definitely an argument to let him walk. At the same time, replacing Nunn’s scoring could prove to be a tall task.
The Heat have Bird Rights on Nunn this offseason, so they will have the ability to match any offer sheet he receives. The question then becomes, is it worth it?
The case for the Miami Heat to re-sign Kendrick Nunn
Re-signing Kendrick Nunn would solidify the Miami Heat’s young core for the future. As mentioned, the point guard is only 25 and has plenty of room to grow.
Bam Adebayo is about to turn 24-years-old and should be viewed as the main building block in Miami. Bringing back Nunn would keep that duo intact for many years to come.
In addition, it could prove to be very difficult to replace Nunn’s scoring in free agency. He averaged nearly 15 points per game last year, and there are not many guys on the market who can say the same.
Players such as Evan Fournier and Tim Hardaway Jr. come to mind, but both are much older than Nunn. They are both nearing the age of 30, while Nunn could just be entering the prime of his career.
Keeping Nunn on the team also ensures that the team has a starting quality point guard on the roster. This gives them the flexibility to move on from Goran Dragic.
Dragic has a player option this offseason which is worth just under $20 million. If the Miami Heat re-sign Nunn, it would allow them to decline Dragic’s player option without worrying about finding a starting point guard on the open market.
The case for the Miami Heat to let Kendrick Nunn walk
Kendrick Nunn could be set to make some serious money this offseason. If the Miami Heat want to keep their options open, letting him walk could be in their best interest.
Teams such as the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, and Oklahoma City Thunder all could be willing to overpay for a player such as Nunn.
In the case of the Knicks and Mavericks, they simply want to acquire as much talent as possible. The Knicks don’t have a real answer at point guard aside from Derrick Rose, and the Mavs just want to put as much talent around Luka Doncic as possible.
As for the Thunder, they really have nothing to lose. Since they are in the middle of a rebuild, overpaying for someone such as Nunn could be the perfect opportunity to unlock unseen potential.
Some offers for Nunn could be for a lot more money than most expect. While it’s unlikely the number gets too high, a realistic offer could be around $12-$15 million per year.
Over the course of a three or four-year deal, those numbers add up fast. A signing like that could restrict how much the Heat are able to spend in the next few offseasons.
In addition, letting Nunn walk would allow the Heat to pursue bigger names in this free agency class. Players such as Kawhi Leonard and Tim Hardaway Jr jump off the page at first glance.
The Miami Heat will have to consider all of their options very carefully. Overpaying for Nunn could hurt their financial wiggle room, but letting him walk for next to nothing would also greatly affect their depth.