Miami Heat Roundtable: Should they offer Max Strus $20M-plus deal?
Miami Heat: Should They Offer Max Strus $20M-Plus Deal – Will’s Take
The offseason is right around the corner and for the Miami Heat, that could be very soon if they continue to play as they are. And with that, soon-to-be free agent Max Strus might draw something close to a three-year deal at around $20 million total when that time comes.
The question for the Miami Heat though is—should they? Yes, they should.
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Not the biggest Max Strus supporter here but realistically, what else is going to be available out there? Miami has the Bird Rights on Strus, so they’re able to go over the cap to pay him if need be.
That doesn’t mean Miami has money to spend this year. That only works because of that provision.
Strus is technically having a down year though, shooting 34 percent from three to rival his 41 percent last year on just one attempt less.
One thing to consider though is this.
Who isn’t having a down season, outside of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro? You can argue that Caleb Martin is playing better, but the numbers don’t really support that.
Miami’s role players have been pretty bad all season and Strus isn’t immune to that. He’s in that group but for just three years and at around 20 million—that’s not a bad deal considering how hot he can get.
Duncan Robinson’s fate may have just taken a turn but you can’t be sure there, so unless him and Spo can certainly rekindle their flame, Miami needs Strus. Whether he’s hitting or not, you need a threat out there to provide spacing.
Miami needs to bring in real talent but the way of doing it through free agency is not ideal. There’s no cap space at all, so it would need to be done through trades.
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But in the meantime, why not bring Strus back? It wouldn’t be the first time Pat Riley has paid a shooter when he probably should have let him walk.