The time to make a big offseason acquisition may have passed the Miami Heat by, but on the NBA calendar, the next transaction window is always around the corner.
By the NBA’s trade deadline in February, plenty of teams around the league will be re-evaluating their future. Teams that thought they were contenders might need a reality check. Injuries or contract negotiations could complicate team-building strategies. Unexpected developments could turn sellers into buyers, and vice-versa.
For months, the Heat have been trying to make a meaningful improvement to the roster. They haven’t done so yet, but maybe they’ll have another chance in the next round of musical chairs.
These three players haven’t been made available yet, but maybe we’re just months away from something unexpected.
Jamal Murray
Murray and the Denver Nuggets still haven’t agreed on an extension, and it’s not clear they will before the start of the season. Murray is in the final year of his contract. He’s 27. He owns a championship ring. He’s been Nikola Jokic’s most constant teammate.
He’s also coming off a bad playoff run and an even worse showing for Canada in the Olympics. Something’s up. Whether it’s health-related or if he’s just in a rut, Murray hasn’t looked like a guy worth signing to a maximum contract into his 30s for five or six months.
So what happens next? More likely than not, the Nuggets will sign Murray to an extension and we’ll forget about all of this. But as long as he remains unsigned, there will be questions about Murray’s future.
The Nuggets, who are earning a reputation as one of the cheapest organizations in the league, could take a wait-and-see approach. If Murray plays well when the season starts, they can sign him to an extension. Technically, there’s no rush. But if it doesn’t go well, the Nuggets could quietly shop him and retool around Jokic.
Murray makes a lot of sense on the Heat. He’s got championship experience and proved he can hammer out a dynamite two-man game with an unselfish center. Pairing Murray with Bam Adebayo and letting him play off Jimmy Butler is an on-paper fit.