Merry Christmas everybody! For those of you reading, you might be wondering what the Miami Heat got from Santa. Well… I don’t know. But here are a few things some Heat players should have put on their wish list.
Bam Adebayo: A floor-spacing center
All Bam wants for Christmas is to not have to play center every minute he is on the court. He has made it clear that he’d like to play power forward, as has his former teammate-turned-pundit Udonis Haslem. This was part of the reason why the Heat drafted Kel’el Ware in the first round of June’s draft, but the 20-year-old isn’t ready to assume a featured role.
Adebayo might look at what Jaren Jackson Jr. has in Memphis, or what he had during his gold medal run with Team USA, and wish for a chance to show off what he could do as a power forward.
Could the Heat trade for a center who could bridge the gap between now and when Ware is ready? I’ve made the case for Nikola Vucevic before. He’s a career 35% 3-point shooter who is putting together a career offensive season. The Heat should kick the tires on Vucevic and see if they can make Bam’s Christmas wish come true.
Jimmy Butler: A contract extension
Despite reports that Butler is open to playing for Phoenix, Golden State, Houston and others, I still believe his preference is to sign a long-term contract and remain in Miami. For a lot of reasons, it’s unclear if the Heat will do that. Butler is 35 and reportedly looking for a max contract that would tie up the Heat’s payroll for the foreseeable future. But that stuff isn’t Butler’s problem.
Tyler Herro: An All-Star appearance
Herro hasn’t kept his aspirations a secret and has long considered himself an All-Star caliber player. Well, after overhauling his shot profile to prioritize the most efficient areas of the floor, Herro has his best chance of earning a spot on the All-Star team yet.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.: A 3-point shot
After a standout rookie season, Jaquez has been underwhelming in his second year. His scoring numbers have dipped, and he’s not making the same impact he was as a rookie.
A big reason for Jaquez’s struggles is that his 3-point shot hasn’t come around. In fact, it’s gotten worse. After averaging 32% from beyond the arc in college and shooting the same rate as a rookie, Jaquez is down to making 23.3% of his 3s this season. Defenses are leaving him open and they are better prepared for his throwback post moves, which is affecting his overall percentage (down to 41.4%). Jaquez desperately needs to open the floor for himself with a reliable 3-point shot.
Heat’s front office: A mulligan
The Heat might have buyer’s remorse on the trade that brought Terry Rozier to Miami. In January, they traded Kyle Lowry’s expiring contract and a first-round pick to Charlotte for Rozier, who they imagined could reprise his role as the 3-and-D point guard he was earlier in his career with the Boston Celtics.
Instead, he’s mostly been the same, inefficient player he was in Charlotte, only worse. Rozier is averaging his fewest points per game and field-goal percentage since 2019.
It got bad enough that coach Erik Spoelstra pulled him from the starting lineup. After the trade, the Heat have only one first-round pick to use before the deadline and Rozier’s contract weighs heavily on the books. In a sober moment, they might wish to take back that deal.