The Miami Heat re-signed Duncan Robinson on day one of free agency. A move that has some fans ecstatic and some fans very upset.
Robinson inked a five-year, $90 million extension. This move averages out to him earning around $18 million per year.
He is 27 years old right now, and by the time the deal is up, he’ll be 33 years old. His new contract will allow Robinson to stay with the Heat through the 2025-26 season.
Some people are upset because Robinson will now make a ton of money, but only has one real skill. However, this contract is perfect for both the Miami Heat and Robinson.
Why the Duncan Robinson extension is great for the Miami Heat: The skill Robinson has does not fade away
Duncan Robinson is a shooter through and through. That’s what he brings to the table and it will always be a big part of what he brings to the table.
The best part about players who rely on their shooting is that the skill doesn’t fade. Players can be great shooters into the late stages of their careers.
Unlike those who are amazing athletes, NBA players who are shooters can contribute into their late 30s. That’s the hope Miami has for Robinson as he gets into the later years of his contract.
If Robinson can continue shooting above 40% from three-point range, this contract will be well worth it. Even when he gets older, Robinson will still have all the tools to be an elite three-point shooter.
Robinson has stated that he wants to develop a more versatile game. Even if he does manage to do this, the one thing he’ll always have is his ability to drain threes for the Miami Heat.
Why the Duncan Robinson extension is great for the Miami Heat: Shooting now comes at a premium in the NBA
While it may seem like the Miami Heat overpaid for Robinson, this is simply the price of shooting in the NBA nowadays. Shooters are being paid now more than ever.
The best examples are Joe Harris and Davis Bertans, both of whom got paid last offseason. Each of them got massive contracts very similar to Robinson’s.
Harris inked a four-year, $72 million deal to stay with the Nets last season. As for Bertans, he signed a five-year, $80 million contract with Washington.
The contract will make Harris around $18 million per year, while Bertans will earn around $16 million per season. Robinson’s deal will have him earn around $18 million per year as well.
Paying a shooter like Robinson close to $100 million seems like a lot, but the harsh reality is that that’s the price to pay for quality shooters nowadays. The Miami Heat did what they had to do to keep him around.
If they had refused to pay him anymore, another team would have swooped in and signed him themselves. That’s the way the world works.
Losing Robinson for nothing would have been much worse than keeping him for the contract they gave him. The Miami Heat paid Robinson the big bucks, but that’s just the name of the game.
Why the Duncan Robinson extension is great for the Miami Heat: He is extremely important to the team
If this weren’t obvious enough, Robinson plays a very important role on the Miami Heat. Without him, the team would be left without any real shooters.
Last season, the Heat were one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the NBA. They were in the bottom half of the league in terms of three-point percentage.
To make matters even worse, they would have been a bottom three team in three-point percentage without Robinson. He accounted for a large portion of their three-point shooting.
The Miami Heat reformulated their whole roster this offseason. So far they’ve added two quality free agents and there are more moves on the way.
The projected starting lineup right now is Kyle Lowry, Robinson, Jimmy Butler, PJ Tucker, and Bam Adebayo. Though Lowry and Tucker can shoot, Robinson is by far the best shooter in the lineup.
Erik Spoelstra constantly runs plays just to get him open looks. That’s a big part of Miami’s offensive game plan, and it should stay that way moving forward.
With Lowry running point guard and Tucker spacing the floor, Robinson is set to get even more open looks than he did last year. He is way too important to the Miami Heat to let walk.