Grade the trade: 4-team pitch shakes up Heat's roster, brings All-Star to Miami
Grading the Heat's part of the trade
We could all sit and come up with good reasons as to why a team like the Heat would trade for Julius Randle. However, it's far too easy to keep coming back to one simple question: Is Randle a fit in Miami's famed Heat Culture?
At the same time, Miami, in the past, has shown a knack for getting the most out of players who had been previously deemed "unproductive" or a "burden" in a locker room. The reason I would give it some chance of working out for the Heat is only because of their championship approach to all that they do, and if they're able to maximize a talent like Randle, the potential front-court pairing with Bam Adebayo could absolutely be the move that unlocks a new gear for Miami's offense.
Erik Spoelstra hasn't had the luxury of a front-court partner for Adebayo who is capable of relieving some of his duties on both ends of the floor. A trade for Randle gives him one more tool to work with during the regular season and beyond.
Aside from that, McBride is an intriguing addition cause of his willingness to shoot in big moments. There were multiple situations during the Knicks' most recent playoff run when McBride made real momentum-shifting shots.
Spoelstra could use McBride similarly to Gabe Vincent. Like Vincent, McBride is a smaller play-making guard whose strength lies in his mid-range shooting ability. He has also shown consistency as a dependable backup point guard. McBride averaged 16.9 points per 40 minutes last season with the Knicks, and this number could increase due to an expected increase in playing time with the Heat.
Still, it's a risky trade that brings back something short of the All-NBA caliber player for whom the Heat had dangled Herro in the past. It could make them better, but might not bump them up to the top tier in the East.