It's been a no-good, very bad, no-fun season for the Miami Heat. It's time to inject some happiness and joy into this team. Thankfully, there are some old friends who could genuinely fix some issues for this team.
I know what you're thinking: please don't say that the Heat should sign Gabe Vincent out of free agency. Trust me, I've got better ideas than this. And it starts with two former Heat players who are currently on the LA Clippers.
The Clippers find themselves in a transitional year, but they happen to have former Heat players Max Strus and Derrick Jones Jr., who could be genuine difference-makers. Can they fix every Heat problem? No. But they would absolutely help in the short term.
The Heat should target Max Strus and DJJ via trade
Obviously, we know what Strus brings as a shooter and high-effort player. He'd either fortify the bench unit or be able to start if Erik Spoelstra decides that's the right move for him. Really, the biggest thing why the Heat should target Strus is that he has great chemistry with Bam Adebayo, which is something that most of the team has yet to develop this season.
DJJ, on the other hand, is mainly for defense and athleticism purposes. However, DJJ has quietly become a much better offensive player than he was during his time with the Heat. DJJ has shot around 36 percent from the 3-point line over the past few seasons, which is over five percent higher than he was as a member of the Heat. In fact, in the early part of this season, he's shooting 50 percent from deep so far.
So how exactly would we get these two? The good thing is that the Clippers likely wouldn't need much to be interested in a trade, as they are so strapped for assets that veterans need to be moved regardless of what they can get. Nikola Jovic, salary filler, and a protected first-round pick could genuinely be enough considering the injury history of both players.
Are they the absolute best options the Heat have? Absolutely not, but there's also not much the Heat can necessarily do at this point. And this team desperately needs depth and players comfortable with the Heat system.
Strus and DJJ are undoubtedly players who fit this mold and have developed further since leaving the team in ways that could be immediately impactful for this struggling franchise.
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