The preseason is over for the Miami Heat, but that doesn’t mean things are slowing down. If anything, everything is beginning to ramp up in preparation for the regular season.
The team looked really good all throughout the preseason, but there’s always room for improvement. Whether that improvement will be internal or external is left to be seen.
Well, a recent Bleacher Report article thinks that the improvements could be external. Zach Buckley wrote a piece titled “Last-Minute Trades to Improve Every NBA Team’s Starting Lineup.”
He formulated a trade that would help each team’s starting lineup, as can be implied by the title. The trade for the Miami Heat is very interesting.
Miami Heat trade for Thaddeus Young in latest Bleacher Report piece
Buckley suggests that Miami should trade PJ Tucker, Markieff Morris, KZ Okpala, and a 2022 second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs for Thaddeus Young.
Now, on paper, this trade doesn’t seem too bad. Young played a huge role for the Chicago Bulls last season and would be able to play a similar role in Miami.
He plays great defense, can stretch the floor, and is just a very versatile power forward. Young is exactly the type of player the Miami Heat should want next to Bam Adebayo.
In addition to that, the Spurs are likely to be shopping him this season. They are a rebuilding team, and they don’t really need a veteran like Young on their squad.
However, the downside to this deal is that the Miami Heat would have to give up some solid players. The question is, would the trade be worth it?
Giving up on KZ Okpala seems like a shame with how well he played in the preseason. That being said, the Heat are in win-now mode, so it makes a bit of sense.
The real issue with this proposed trade is that the Heat would have to trade Tucker. While Young definitely would give the Heat better counting stats, Tucker’s defense is almost irreplaceable.
He’s one of the best on-ball defenders in the league and has the ability to effectively guard players such as Kevin Durant. Trading away someone who can slow down Durant doesn’t seem like a great idea.
That being said, there is definitely an argument that this trade would be for the best for the Miami Heat. So, what’s the verdict Miami Heat fans? Deal or no deal?