5 Things U Can Heat: Miami Heat trade targets to rebuild around new core

Things were bleak for the Miami Heat before they crushed the Los Angeles Lakers 134-93. That rag-dolling performance brought them to an even 2-2 since last Friday. Shoutout to the Heat stars because this would have been a full rant piece before they showed up and showed out against the Lakers. That was an impressive display, but the warts didn't disappear.

1. Heat and Herro explosion drastically raise Offensive Rating
2. Bam Adebayo hasn't been a top 3 center, but he can get back there
3. The Boston rivalry was fun, but it's a one-sided beatdown in 2024-25
4. Pick a direction for the future
5. Live from Heat Nation

Heat and Herro explosion drastically raise Offensive Rating

This post (tweet) from a long-time Heat reporter Anthony Chiang is mind-boggling.

This puts into perspective how wild this game was from an offensive standpoint. The 134 points were by far a Heat season-high. Miami drilled 24 3s as a team, but nine were from Tyler Herro, the best shooter in the Eastern Conference (maybe the NBA).

Herro was possessed in the third quarter against the Lakers. I put my brain on Do Not Disturb when he went nuclear because I didn't want to miss greatness. Leave me alone— it was the Tyler Herro show. He was 7/8 in the third alone. He gave it to the Lakers in every way imaginable. Deep balls or coming off screens, it didn't matter because Herro hit a zone that only he's in right now. Herro is the only player to hit nine 3s multiple times this season.

Of course, Steph Curry is the best shooter in the league today. He is the GOAT shooter. But when strictly talking about this year, I'd argue no one has been a better high-volume 3-point shooter than Herro. Off name value, one may think Damian Lillard is the best shooter in the Eastern Conference due to his range, and 2,670 makes in his career. Not this year, though. Herro attempts and makes more than the All-Time shooter Lillard. Surprisingly, only Anthony Edwards matches his volume and efficiency from deep.

Herro has finally cracked 10 3PA per game, but he's still sizzling at 42% from downtown. LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Jayson Tatum all attempt more 3s than Herro, but none crack even 38%. Herro has been special and will be the Heat's All-Star if they get one. His growth and maturity showed its head when he discussed Bam Adebayo's performance post-game. Herro says Bam is a top-three center and needs to stop reading what he's reading. That's leadership, and Herro knows more than anyone how to tune out the noise and play his game.

Bam Adebayo hasn't been a top 3 center, but he can get back there

Adebayo had an uneven week. He averaged 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists on 47% TS. His efficiency was putrid. He's still missing those short midranges he's made a career of. Bam's playmaking chops were fully displayed in the Toronto doubleheader series, but his touch was still lacking. He missed bunnies against the Celtics, and things looked gloomy.

Things were brighter against fellow Kentucky Wildcat Anthony Davis in the Lakers matchup. Bam usually shows up for this matchup, so having his best game of the week in this spot is no surprise. He was 6/8 in that one, his highest FG% of the season. Going 6/8 and being considered a "better" game isn't common for a top center in the league.

Adebayo's offensive output has put the Heat's future in a bind. If he's really this 15-PPG guy that shoots 59% at the rim as a big, the Heat are cooked. We're a quarter into the season, and the flashes of greatness have been limited. He's still the defensive tank that blows up offenses, but with that max contract and expectations, Adebayo has to bring it as a scorer.

I've never thought Adebayo was a "bucket-getter," but he has averaged 20 points in this league. When Herro calls Bam a top-three center, he's putting him in the conversation with Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Domantas Sabonis, and the up-and-coming Victor Wembanyama. There was no doubt in my mind he was right behind Jokic, Embiid, and Davis last year. Many still consider AD a power forward, so I got where Herro came from.

We can scratch off Embiids' name because he hasn't played much this year. Besides Jokic, each center has holes opponents can pick on in their games. Davis' motor, KAT's and Sabonis' paint defense, and Wemby's shot selection have all been questioned. None of them are averaging 15 points per game, though.

Defense is essential to build a title contender. It's even more paramount for the center to be a solid defender because of his taxing responsibilities. Bam's arguably the best defender here (more versatile than Wemby and AD), but he will get his ranking snatched by these centers with that minimal scoring output. Bam's defense could outweigh these bucket-getting centers' impact when he's a threat to score in the paint. Without his touch, he's closer to a glass cleaner than a top center. His touch has abandoned him this year— we have to hope he can build off the Lakers game and get this thing rolling. This monster jam could be a pendulum shifter.

The Boston rivalry was fun, but it's a one-sided beatdown in 2024-25

Ah, what a time it was when the Heat and Celtics used to match up, and there was real belief we could knock those guys out. From the Heatles era to now, countless moments could aid one's argument that Heat-Celtics was the best rivalry in the NBA. That ship has sailed.

The Celtics put their foot where it didn't belong in their 108-89 victory over Miami Monday night. This is coming off a 4-1 gentlemen's sweep against the Heat last year. I said this would have some rants, so you'll hear them.

It's brutal watching the Celtics dominate the league like this when we're 18 months removed from dismantling their Finals hopes in the 2023 season. Since then, the Celtics have collected a title and seem like sure-fire Eastern Conference representatives again. They've added Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to their stellar core while the Heat remained idle. We can play the blame game until we're blue in the face, but that fact remains: the Heat haven't added a needle mover since Jimmy Butler arrived in 2020.

We aren't going to Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent our way past Boston anymore. The talent discrepancy is too wide. It's telling when Dru Smith was the Heat's most impactful player in a game vs Boston. That's no knock on Smith, as I'm higher on him than most Heat fans. He started the second half and caused havoc. Smith shot the ball well and ignited Heat fast breaks, forcing turnovers, but it wasn't enough. He may not be what the Heat are searching for, but his player archetype is needed next to Herro and Bam— more on that later.

The Heat were without Jimmy Butler Monday night in Boston, so that naturally would plague the team. But with Butler, it's still lopsided. And part of the Heat's issue is they don't know what Butler they'll get on a night-to-night basis. Nightly, he could be a different guy due to age, a nagging injury, or lack of aggression. Butler was spectacular vs the Lakers, as were most of the team. There's no coincidence the Heat thrived like that when Bam and Butler had good games.

While Wednesday was eye-popping, the Heat's issues extend beyond the Celtics. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic are flourishing. Those groups are young and will be a force to be reckoned with for a while. So no, it's no longer fun going against these Eastern Conference teams that we used to match up well with. These aren't favorable matchups now or in the future.

Pick a direction for the future

For years, the Heat have straddled the fence of youth movement vs. win now. Get out of the middle. Miami selected Kel'el Ware this offseason. His fit makes sense, considering he's a stretch big who could potentially play next to Bam. Well, Ware was sent down to the G-League recently. While that's not some dealbreaker, it does beg the question: If the Heat want to win now, why did they select a project?

Ware's raw game was a common theme in his scouting reports. With more time, Ware may be a stretch five-like monster who can protect the hoop, but this Heat team doesn't have that time. The best player is a 35-year-old who's frequently banged up. With that dilemma, Ware doesn't get the game reps other raw rookies like Alex Sarr get because he's not on a team prioritizing his growth over winning. This Heat team isn't good enough for that.

If Butler was in his prime and the Heat were true contenders, I'd get stashing a young big with raw talent and letting him grow into his own. But when the Heat keep singing the championship or bust song, that move becomes eyebrow-raising. This draft wasn't the superstar lottery, but many players were projected to be more NBA-ready than Ware.

Who are we kidding? We have a few options to ensure the Heat aren't stuck in mediocrity until the decade's end. Assuming Butler plans to opt out of his player option this offseason, Miami can either trade him before the deadline, trade him at the end of the year, let him leave for nothing, or extend him and cripple the future. Resigning him without trading Herro or Bam virtually guarantees you'll continue to see Heat basketball played inconsistently like it is now. That's no fun.

I've heard the "sell high" whispers about Herro, and while he's playing his value up game by game, I don't see rival GMs giving up pieces that can put an aging Butler, Bam, and company over the top. The idea of trading Bam turns my stomach—I'd only entertain that if a certified top-fiveish guy was available, and even then when Bam gets out of this crazy slump, that'd be a tough trade to make.

It hurts that the young guys who are supposed to be part of the Heat's direction haven't made major leaps. Jaime Jaquez Jr. hasn't built on one of the best Miami Heat rookie seasons, and Nikola Jovic hasn't been the killer versatile big Miami envisioned when they drafted him. Pelle Larsson has been impressively solid, but there's no star indicator there. Trade Jimmy, truly dive into a youth movement, and let Bam's relationships with star players around the league land you a whale. Miami will always be a free-agent destination when they have cap room.

That's what I would do. I love what Butler has done for this franchise and can't minimize that. But these are the tough decisions that come with being the boss. According to Pat Riley, that would be easier said than done.

Live from Heat Nation

Building on the previous segment, what type of player would fit best next to Herro and Bam in the next iteration of Miami Heat basketball? Every coach dreams of a floor general who can penetrate a defense with some 3-and-D fabric woven in.

That archetype of a player would maximize both Herro and Bam. Herro would continue this off-ball surge and get even more spoon-fed shots. Spoon-fed shots are just what Bam needs about now. It's actually always something the Heat haven't fully utilized.

The problem is they've never had that type of floor general. Goran Dragic is my second favorite Heat point guard of all time. He was a scorer, and that worked on the way to the Finals in 2020 because the Heat had the best version of Jimmy Butler on the roster—ancient times.

Kyle Lowry was the closest the Heat have gotten to this ideal archetype. He was aging and didn't put a nutty amount of pressure on the rim, either. Trading Lowry and a first-round pick for Rozier was a risk and a gamble that hasn't paid off yet. Even if Rozier's tough shot-making returns, that's not the best playing style next to 13 and 14.

The Celtics relentlessly hunted Herro on Monday. A sturdy point guard who locks up would alleviate that pressure. He'd still get hunted, but better defenders don't always concede switches (unless the Heat are in switch base), which will help Herro.

Bam is missing close shot after close shot when he's creating his offense this year. Though he's undersized at center, he's in the upper tier of athleticism among centers. His catch radius is insane, and lobs should be coming his way repeatedly. Rozier thrived with that task but lacked the other nuances of this archetype.

Collin Sexton has seemingly been made available by the Utah Jazz. His play style is similar to Rozier's. Sexton would not come to Miami and lose his scoring prowess like Rozier has, but the Heat need to pair defense and playmaking for others in the backcourt with Herro.

If the Brooklyn Nets decide to trade Dennis Schröder, I'd be interested in that name for Miami. How we'd get there is another story, but Schröder is locking up guards and throwing lobs for fun in Brooklyn. He's 11th in the league with 289 drives—that's a lot of rim pressure. Whether they can acquire Schröder or not, a playmaking-defending guard like that is the ingredient needed next to Herro and Bam for now and the future.

Stats as of 12/05/2024 via PivotFade, Cleaning The Glass, NBA.com, Basketball Reference, and PBP Stats.