The Miami Heat trade Goran Dragic, Andre Iguodala, Precious Achiuwa, and a 2028 First-Round Pick (Lottery Protected) to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Kemba Walker.
Most fans may be hesitant to trade for Kemba Walker after the debacle with Boston last season. However, he still has the ability to produce at a high level.
The main reason Walker was unable to play to his full potential with the Celtics was because of the players in front of him. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both need the ball in order to play their best.
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat’s stars don’t necessarily need the ball in order to play well. Walker could go back to controlling the offense as he did in Charlotte.
Jimmy Butler is a great playmaker, but if Walker was there to play alongside him the two could pair beautifully. Butler doesn’t always need the ball in his hands to be effective.
In addition, Walker’s defense was fully exposed last year as the C’s struggled on that end of the floor. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat were one of the best defensive teams in the NBA.
The Miami Heat have plenty of talent to cover for Walker’s subpar defense. Their real needs are on the offensive end, where Walker happens to shine.
He averaged 19.3 points, four rebounds, and 4.9 assists last season while shooting 42% from the field and 36% from deep. Despite all the noise, those numbers are actually on par with his career averages.
What makes this trade even more enticing is that the Miami Heat don’t actually have to give up much. All they have to do is match the salary using two big contracts and throw in a pick to please Sam Presti.