Over the last few weeks the Miami Heat have come under scrutiny. This is because of the rumor that Jimmy Butler is on the trade market. One thing that appears to be evident after their loss to the Detroit Pistons is they aren’t championship material. They aren’t athletic and some of their key players are aging. Team President, Pat Riley, is 79 years old and doesn’t want to go through a long rebuild so you have to try to add on to your nucleus Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.
The Heat will be above the cap for the next three years. The wild card in this for next year is Jimmy Butler. He has a player option for 52 million next year. All indications are he wants a new contract and will become a free agent after this season.
Let’s take a look at their roster and their salaries and play General Manager.
Miami Heat, What’s the Future For Key Players
Jimmy Butler
Butler is 35 years old and makes 48 million. His option for next year is for 52 million. Since the 19-20 season he hasn’t played more than 64 games in any season. This year his points per game is in slight decline as he is averaging under 20 points per game. The fact Is he’s 35 and this makes it obvious that his numbers should be in decline as well as his availability.
Bam Adebayo
Bam is signed through the 28-29 season with his salaries rising from 34 million to 59 million. Statistically he is having a down season this year but at 27 it should be considered a down season and he will rebound from this. Bam is thought to be a Heat for life.
Tyler Herro
Herro is only 25 years old and is signed through the 26-27 season. He has become the Heat’s best offensive player. This year Herro is averaging 24.1 points per game and shooting 39% from three. he also has demonstrated the ability to make clutch shots as evidenced in the Piston game the other night. He has replaced Butler as the go to man on the team. The only negative is that teams like to hunt him when he is defending.
Terry Rozier
Rozier is 30 years old. He has this year and next year on his contract and is making 25 million this year and twenty six million next year. This year Rozier is averaging 11.7 points per game, considerably less than the 23.2 he averaged with Charlotte last year in thirty games. Rozier has also seen his minutes decrease this year and he hasn’t been starting lately for the Heat. It’s not hard to figure teams would be reluctant to trade for him.
Duncan Robinson
Robinson is 30 years old. He is signed through the 25-26 season and makes 19 million a year. Robinson is an outstanding shooter who has shot 39.7% from three in his career. The problem is he hasn’t developed the rest of his offensive game and is not a very good defender. In a league where teams rely on three point shooting some team may be interested in acquiring him as he has slight value on the trade market.
Jamie Jaquez Jr.
Jaquez has been a mystery this year. His production is down but as a 23 year old second year player, may require patience. This year his scoring and minutes played have gone down. Jaquez is signed through the 26-27 season but the last two years are club options. Off his play last year the Heat need to be patient with him and let him develop.
Nikola Jovic
Jovic only 21 years old is similar to Jaquez. Last year was considered a good year but this year he hasn’t shown much improvement. Jovic is signed through next year. Like Jaquez he needs more time so the Heat can see what they have.
Dru Smith
Smith is on a two way contract. The point guard is a good defensive player and not afraid to take the big shot. Smith has the chance to be a nice bench player. He has been getting key minutes in the fourth quarter. Each year the Heat seem to find a new player they develop that catches your eye. This year it’s Smith.
Haywood Highsmith
Highsmith is 28 years old. He’s signed through next year at a little over 5 million. A decent defender, Highsmith is a nice role player.
One other player that needs mentioning is Kel’el Ware. The seven foot rookie drafted by the Heat in the first round needs the opportunity to show the Heat he may have a future.
One asset the Heat have is Erik Spoelstra, their coach. Spoelstra is considered one of the best if not the best coach in the league.
The Path Forward
What to do? it seems the Heat don’t need a total rebuild but need to make some changes. The Heat have no draft picks in next years draft. They have their own pick next year but in the 26-27 season don’t have their first round draft pick. After that season they will have their first round pick in every year.
With Jimmy Butler having trade value and teams like Golden State and Phoenix possibly interested the smart move would be dealing Butler to a team like Golden State for young talent. A deal with Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Gary Payton and salary filler could do it. Wiggins does not have an expiring contract but Kuminga is restricted after this year.
As for Terry Rozier, the best chance is to trade him for expiring contacts. Trading him for the likes of D’Angelo Russell who it seems the Lakers have been trying to trade since they signed him, Jalen Hood-Schiffino and Christian Wood would match salaries.
The other trade candidate is Duncan Robinson. weak shooting teams that are playoff bound might want him. The Houston Rockets are only shooting 32.3 from three this year are one of those teams. A deal with Jeff Green and Jock Landale and filler may do it.
The money freed up would allow the Heat to sign a free agent next year to go with Adebayo and Herro. Someone like Julius Randle or Brandon Ingram though I’d be hesitant to take on Ingram because he misses a lot of games.
A starting team with Wiggins, Randle, Kuminga, Herro and Adebayo. Their bench would be Jaquez, Jokic, Smith, Haywood Highsmith and possibly Ware would be a much more athletic team and better than the Heat of today.
