The Miami Heat haven’t been able to make a move on the NBA trade market all offseason long, but that doesn’t mean that it’s all over. Holding out hope for as long as they can, presumably at this point, the Miami Heat may still, indeed, find themselves wheeling and dealing before the season proceedings tip off in the next month and a half or so.
While that, hopefully, involves one of the bigger names on the market, preferably Kevin Durant to be specific if it can be done without including Bam Adebayo, there are several other names out there. Donovan Mitchell is the one right behind Durant for most, but Collin Sexton of the Cleveland Cavaliers has emerged several times as a potential Heat target in the last few seasons.
Here is what Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer had to say in response to the host of The Wine & Gold Talk Podcast, Chris Fedor, as he stated that he’s hearing that the Cavaliers aren’t interested in the potential returns from teams like Miami, Utah, and Dallas on Collin Sexton.
"Fischer: Miami, I’ve heard in the past too. That’s been curious to me though. I don’t really see the obvious fit. Fedor: I agree, especially with Herro there. Fischer: Exactly. Maybe they are thinking of him as a potential Herro replacement. Yea, I kept hearing “Pat Riley likes Collin Sexton, Pat Riley likes Collin Sexton” from one person that I trust who knows things but they also, sometimes, get things wrong. So, I was likehmm, not sure about that."
The two gentlemen agreed on the quandary here. Basically, where or how does Collin Sexton fit into what the Miami Heat are trying to do?
What will they do in order to make it work, if anything and if it were to happen? Let’s talk about it.
Miami Heat Rumors: Where Exactly Would Collin Sexton Fit In?
So, if the Miami Heat trade for Sexton, that accounts for either Tyler Herro or Kyle Lowry.
Imaginably and with the salary Sexton is probably seeking, it would take one of those two to get it done and that’s if the Cavs would consider anything other than a Herro-based package. However, when it comes to both of those guys, you would probably rather have them right now over Sexton.
Lowry is much older, but his experience, know-how, and skill set fit this team and their title hopes a bit better.
Tyler Herro is just a flat-out better player than Sexton.
He is bigger, younger, more versatile, and still has more upside than Sexton as a player. So, even assuming Tyler would be gone, there is still Lowry, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and a guy like Victor Oladipo to contend with for touches and reign over the rock.
And keep in mind, Oladipo can’t be traded without allowing it, per the terms of his deal. So, he’ll be there.
Miami Heat Rumors: Not Only Doesn’t Sexton Move Needle, But Herro’s Better
If you are going to trade for Sexton, you are going to try and maximize him. Well, in order to do that, he needs the ball in his hands, as he is not a very good off-ball player.
You aren’t taking the ball out of any of the other mentioned guys’ hands to give it to Sexton. You just aren’t.
On top of that, he doesn’t add anything dynamic to the team. He doesn’t do anything that someone else on the team can’t do.
It’s a lateral move, at best, though to give up Herro for him might be a downgrade, as noted by the belief that Herro still has a greater trajectory. No matter how much Pat Riley “likes” Sexton, they shouldn’t make a move that would only be seen as a desperation second heave type move as a result of missing out on bigger names.
Even with the supposed interest across the last few seasons, it would still seem that way.
Because not only doesn’t he really move the needle for a Heat team that was inches away from the NBA Finals with a banged-up Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro on just last season, but the fit just isn’t worth giving up something of value or interrupting the invaluable chemistry of this unit.