Is A Miami Heat Trade for Kyle Lowry the Most Ideal Pick-Up?

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There’s been a lot of discussion about possible trade options for the Miami Heat, including Victor Oladipo and Jrue Holiday, but is Kyle Lowry the best fit?

I believe he is. For one, there’s a known relationship between Lowry and Jimmy Butler. He’s the type of player that Jimmy would love to play with as well, since he’s one of those gritty and tough players.

Miami is also in need of a defensive guard, and with Kyle Lowry, you know you are getting that and more. He’s a guy that you can trust to guard an opposing point guard, which ultimately takes a lot of pressure off Jimmy Butler.

Jimmy would also get some pressure taken off of him on the offensive side of the ball. Lowry averaged 19 points a game this past season, while hitting about 3 threes a game.

The fitting factor with Kyle Lowry on this team is obvious, since he fits the culture mold, but what does this effect?

For one, the Toronto Raptors will not just be giving Lowry away for free. But, the reason they will be willing to make this trade is because they will need to sign Fred VanVleet, and it’s clear that’s the route they will go for their future.

Miami’s trade package that people have discussed lately includes Kendrick Nunn, Kelly Olynyk, the 20th pick, and possibly KZ Okpala. This may seem like a lot for a 35 year old Kyle Lowry, but if Miami was to trade for him, they’d definitely find a way to give up much less than all of these assets.

Another trade that has been discussed is giving up much less, but sending Duncan Robinson to Toronto. Once again, I would not include Duncan in this type of trade, and I don’t believe Miami would either.

It impacts Miami’s cap space for this season as well. Kyle Lowry is going into the last year of his deal, which is worth $30 Million, and could impact possible re-signings for Miami. The only positive thing though is that it wouldn’t impact Miami’s run at Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021, since it will be off the books.

Would Miami be willing to give all of this up for another run at an NBA Championship next season?

Well, I’m not sure, but it’s clear that Pat Riley isn’t afraid to make moves to win now.

Although you may be losing some key role pieces, you’d still have a core of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, and Duncan Robinson. And I believe that you can compete for a title with that core.

Could Miami Go From Kendrick Nunn to Kris Dunn?

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Other than Kris Dunn and Kendrick Nunn’s rhyming last names, they share absolutely nothing alike.

Kendrick Nunn showed throughout this regular season that he is a pretty natural scorer of the basketball, even though it was hard to see that during some stretches of the postseason. Kendrick’s downfall though is that he is not a great defender, and that is what Miami lacked this past season.

Kris Dunn, on the other hand, is one of the league’s best guard defenders in the league. He received the most votes for the all-defensive team among those who didn’t make it this season.

Kris was second in steals per game this season with 2.0 a game, only trailing Ben Simmons with 2.1, which Dunn averaged 10 less minutes a game.

Not only was his name at the top of the defensive statistics like defensive plus/minus, deflections, and loose balls, but he also elevated the Chicago Bulls to a top 10 defense before his injury.

All of these things show pretty clearly how effective he is defensively, but how is he offensively?

Well, he really isn’t the most efficient player. In 51 games played this season, he averaged 7 points a game shooting 26% from three.

That may look bad on a stat sheet, but it really isn’t all his fault.

He did not seem to have a fitting role on this past season’s Chicago Bulls team, especially with Zach Lavine having a decent season, which he controlled the ball most of the time. Dunn was attempting under seven shots a game, which further proves that he wasn’t very comfortable.

And with that offensive uncertainty, many teams will not have as much urge to jump at that type of player.

Unless, you are the Miami Heat.

Miami had one of the most dynamic offensive teams throughout this regular season, due to the shooting out-pour of Duncan Robinson, the evolution of Tyler Herro, and the throwback Goran Dragic season. It’s obvious that Miami doesn’t need scoring right now, they just need exactly what Kris Dunn is.

Kris Dunn is a restricted free agent, which means that Chicago will still have the opportunity to match a possible Miami Heat offer. But would they want to?

They had a pretty good rookie showing from their new point guard last season, in Coby White. And they now have the fourth pick in this NBA years NBA draft. It’s clear the way they’re heading with this roster, and it doesn’t seem that Kris Dunn will be apart of it.

It truly seems like a win-win situation for both Kris Dunn and the Miami Heat. Miami gets their guard defender, while Dunn gets a fitting role.

If Miami has an opportunity to pull off this signing without hurting their other off-season plans and re-signings, I believe they should do it.

 

#BugBrady: Taking Your Miami Heat Questions #2

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Honestly, if we’re talking about realistic possibilities, I would like to see a Jae Crowder re-signing more than anything. Obviously there is hope that Miami can throw him a big one year deal and try to get someone else, but in my opinion that should be priority.

We can discuss possible fits next to Bam Adebayo, mostly since there is a need for a rebounding big, but Jae had a pretty great run at the 4 next to Bam in the Bubble. If you take a look back, he had an amazing stretch shooting the ball, which was not something expected when Miami brought him here originally. He had some cold stretches towards the end of the run, but he kept that hot streak going longer than many expected.

His defensive presence was also known upon arrival, but he was given a much bigger defensive role throughout the playoffs. He had to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo for most of the Milwaukee series, and held his own against Jayson Tatum. And when he was asked to guard opposing bigs on the Lakers, he did that as well.

Miami could really use Jae Crowder next season, and it’s a pretty realistic signing.

You mentioned it right there, Serge Ibaka is the most ideal signing. I’ve mentioned in the past that I don’t think there’s a better player to put next to Bam than Serge Ibaka. He’s everything you’d want, since he can rebound, protect the rim, and space the floor.

And when I say space the floor, I don’t just mean that he can shoot the three ball, which he can. I really mean that he has a great feel for the game, that he knows where to position himself offensively to find dead spots. It helps that he played with a dynamic Toronto Raptors team, so he had to get out of others way. He likes to position himself on the baseline right outside of the paint, since he can be a disruption on the glass. This would allow Bam to work in his favorite spots, mostly at the free throw line extended.

He also brings another element to their offense, which is a solid post-up game. Bam and Ibaka have such opposite playing styles, that I truly believe that big-man duo would work perfectly.

If Miami has a chance to grab Serge Ibaka, they will jump at it as fast as possible.

Well, I don’t know about significant, but I do believe that KZ Okpala could find himself a solid bench role.

Duncan Robinson bounced back and forth from the G-League to the Heat team all of his rookie year, much like KZ has. And look where he is now. This gave Duncan an entire season and off-season to be fully ready to make an immediate impact.

It seems like that’s the way they’re heading with KZ Okpala, especially since there’s a good chance Derrick Jones Jr won’t be in Miami next season. They are hoping he can take the role of DJJ, just younger and cheaper.

He showed during the season that he is an energetic defensive guy, and many believe his offensive package is evolving more and more.

Once again, I don’t know about significant impact, but I do believe he has a role next season off of Miami’s bench.

Could Miami Overload Shooting with A Joe Harris Pick-Up?

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Do you know what’s better than one Duncan Robinson?

Two of them.

There was a report about two weeks ago that said the Miami Heat might be interested in Joe Harris.

But is that what Miami needs right now?

Obviously you can never have too many shooters, which is why the Joe Harris fit isn’t an issue. The problem is you’d be using around $15 Million for a one year deal on a position that is not a necessity. Miami clearly needs a big to help out Bam Adebayo, but what if they could pull off both?

Once again, if any team could do it, it would probably be the Miami Heat. If Miami could buy into more of a back-up big type player such as Tristan Thompson, or even a possible DeMarcus Cousins signing, it’s possible they could pull it off.

To take a bit of a deeper dive into the exact fit, I believe he would most likely used as a sixth man. The toll that would take on opposing defenses would definitely be interesting, since they’d have to chase Duncan Robinson around for a whole quarter, and have the same exact type of player sub in with fresh legs.

He’s another shooter that never stops moving, and needs to have a body on him at all times. But what would him and Duncan look like on the floor together?

Due to the play-making abilities of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, this would make these two guys even more deadly on the floor together. Bam’s dribble hand-offs with Duncan have proved to be pretty close to unstoppable this season, so just imagine the sets they can run with all three of them.

Once again, I don’t believe this is a route they will end up going, since there are two other needs in this current roster. But since they’ve showed interest, it’s not impossible.

One year deals will be the only thing on Miami’s mind once free agency opens up, so if some guys on their radar begin to sign elsewhere, they could go this route to try and make their offense even more dynamic.

#BugBrady: Taking Your Miami Heat Questions

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This is something new that I will be doing for the Five Reasons Sports Network. This allows us to continue to be more interactive, and answer any questions you may have about the Miami Heat. Your questions are also heard every Thursday night on FloorsYours on the Five Reasons Sports Youtube Channel.

Anyway, here’s today’s questions….

This question definitely seems to vary based on who is answering, but in my opinion yes he is.

Tyler Herro has seemed to be in trade talks all season by Heat fans, but it seems that he’s above most of those deals now. Most of the guys that have been discussed do not display a clear separation between the 20 year old Tyler Herro. Bradley Beal is one that seems to entice Heat fans the most, since he does have clear separation, but is it really worth it?

And once again, my answer is no. Why trade away a key player like Tyler Herro for an all-star, with the highly anticipated 2021 free agency approaching. It seems as if Miami has a real shot at one of the best players in the NBA, in Giannis Antetokounmpo, and can keep their young centerpieces.

In my opinion, this is a no brainer. Tyler Herro is untouchable.

I absolutely agree. I discussed Christian Wood in an earlier piece, since I truly think he’s the perfect fit next to Bam Adebayo.

For starters, many believe that since he’s an evolving young player, he will be searching for a 3 year deal instead of a 1 year deal, but I’m not exactly sure that’s the case. He seems to be pretty adamant that he wants to win, which ultimately raises young player’s stock. Guys like Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns don’t get as much recognition as they should, since ultimately they never have the ability to play on the big stage. A guy like Paschal Siakam had a great championship run with Toronto and ultimately proved his worth. That’s just the way it goes.

But to the actual fit itself, I think Bam and Wood could not only be a great front-court for the future, but also for this upcoming season. Christian Wood proved this season that he has a respectable three ball, and can be an absolute havoc around the rim due to his length. His motor actually seems a lot like that of Bam’s, which is why it’d be so interesting to see this big man duo.

Christian Wood to Miami seems like a pretty ideal fit for both parties.

Many may disagree, but I really don’t think I would. Obviously James Harden’s abilities to score the basketball are second to none, but is that what this team needs right now? This team just turned the corner on a new era for Miami Heat basketball, which has fully represented culture and team chemistry. They have a group of guys who truthfully enjoy playing and being around one another, and they got to the NBA Finals doing just that.

I’m not saying that a big three of James Harden, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo would not make some major noise, but they’ve gotten this far building this team exactly how they wanted, so why take a chance and revert back.

Tyler Herro seemed more comfortable in the post-season at 20 years old, than James Harden did in year 11.

And once again, they can keep both Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro, and grab an even better player in 2021 free agency. That seems to be the route they’re leaning towards. And if they don’t land Giannis, then you think about making the huge move.

What Would A Miami Heat Aron Baynes Signing Look Like?

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There’s been some discussion about the possibility of Aron Baynes joining this Heat team. He had a career year this past season with the Suns, and has seemed to make it clear that he will be moving on this off-season. But how would he fit?

For starters, one of the biggest things to note with Aron Baynes game is that he has evolved into a knock down shooter. He went from attempting 1 three a game to 4 threes a game, and was a 35% three point shooter.

Going from 5.6 points per game to 11.5 points per game is also impressive in itself. And his three ball wasn’t the only reason for that, since he began to get more and more comfortable around the rim. Which offensively, are the two things Miami is looking for when adding another big.

But the most intriguing part of this signing would be Aron’s defensive abilities. He is 6’10 and 260 pounds, and has such impressive mobility. It seemed as if he made huge leaps this season defensively with Phoenix, since he took them from 29th in the league in defensive efficiency, to top 15 throughout the season. Especially since he took over the starting center role with Deandre Ayton on suspension.

The Meyers Leonard and Bam Adebayo starting front-court this season had great success. And this Aron signing makes me think of that same duo if Meyers had high tier defensive abilities and mobility.

I honestly feel that this signing makes a lot of sense for both parties, and will begin to be talked about more and more as we approach free agency.

And by the way, Aron Baynes seems to love the city of Miami…

Can DeMarcus Cousins Have His Comeback Season in Miami?

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DeMarcus Cousins to Miami. That’s interesting on many levels.

Obviously Cousins didn’t get to play all of last season after he tore his ACL back in August. And before that, he had torn his Achilles in 2018 and suffered a torn quadricep in the playoffs. It’s pretty clear, he’s had a rough time over this long stretch.

When he returned from the Achilles injury, he shot 27% from three through 30 games to finish off the season.

It’s clear that people can sit here and guess what his injuries could limit him to, but ultimately he is still DeMarcus Cousins.

He’s a tough player who has an incredible offensive package for his size. He can hurt you from beyond the arc, but also has the ability to put the ball on the deck and take it up strong. With these offensive attributes, it seems as if he’d be the perfect Bam Adebayo complement, if healthy.

DeMarcus also isn’t afraid to get on the block and back opposing bigs down, which will give Bam plenty of space to continue to run the offense. And with Cousins’ passing skills out of the post, it’d make an intriguing big man duo.

He definitely isn’t the defensive big they may hope for, but that may not be a worry in the Heat’s eyes if they’re getting a healthy DeMarcus Cousins.

If Miami was to acquire him, I believe they would work him in off of the bench, unless he begins to show some flashbacks.

And by the way, there’s not many teams that DeMarcus would totally buy into a bench role, but I can tell you Miami is one of them.

Obviously it’s clear about the organizational structure, but what stands out more is his friendship and respect for Jimmy Butler. First of all, Miami has a selling point with Jimmy alone, but since Jimmy always seems to speak so highly of Cousins, I believe he could fit the Heat culture well.

And many always talk about DeMarcus Cousins being a locker room issue, but that’s what Jimmy Butler was considered upon arrival. If Miami was to make this move, you must trust that they know this guy’s character.

Once again though, this all falls on his health. He’s had two major injuries in the past two years, which ultimately can hurt a guy’s mobility at that size.

If Miami does believe that he can be impactful on this current Heat team, it’ll make for an interesting 2021 season.

Tristan Thompson Could Get A Look From Miami, As a Last Resort

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There are so many intriguing power forwards and centers in this current free agency, that a guy like Tristan Thompson may not get discussed. But it’s definitely a possibility.

If Miami can’t find that starting stretch four to put next to Bam, such as a Danilo Gallinari, they may go the route of searching for a back-up big.

Tristan Thompson would be the type of back-up big you’d look for, since he’s such a great rebounder, which was what Miami’s issues were this season.

He’s also a guy that knows how to play his own role, which is what the Heat did so well this season since everybody on the roster bought in. His consistency is also one of his best attributes, since you know what you will get from him every single night.

Obviously he won’t do close to the amount of things that these other free agents would bring. He has offensive limitations and he’s not the best defensive big, but he can grab you some offensive rebounds and protect the rim a bit.

This definitely would only happen in a situation where Miami has no other option, but it’s still very possible.

Tristan could still possibly return to the Cleveland Cavaliers next season, but it would be surprising since they brought in Andre Drummond this past season.

Many people believe he will be looking to jump onto a contending roster, which is exactly what Miami is right now.

He also would bring a bit of toughness and grit that Miami likes, but once again this would likely be a last resort pick-up.

Miami was interested in Tristan Thompson back in February when there were talks of him being bought out, so we will see if that interest still stands.

Who Else is on the Miami Heat’s Draft Radar?

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The Miami Heat have the 20th pick in this year’s NBA draft, but there’s a very good chance that this pick won’t be in their possession for long, due to possible trades.

I’ve mentioned before that if they do elect to keep the pick, they will go after a defensive guard or a true big, which I believe would be Tyrese Maxey or Vernon Carey Jr.

But who else could they take a look at?

Greg Sylvander reported yesterday that he has heard the Miami Heat are intrigued by Malachi Flynn from San Diego State.

This makes some sense for a couple reasons.

For one, he has the ability to be the defensive guard they’re looking for. And he also has a polished offensive game. He’s a good shooter, and many rave about his pick and roll abilities.

But what really makes him stand out as a Miami Heat type player is that he has continued to fly under the radar. And it’s pretty clear, that Miami tends to lean towards those types of players.

And by the way, some people have mentioned his downfall is his “short arms,” which is pretty similar to their draft pick last year, in Tyler Herro.

Another name that came up yesterday was Jalen Smith out of Maryland, since it was reported that Miami requested a zoom meeting with him. He’s a 6’10 power forward with a 7’2 wingspan who has an incredible three ball.

This definitely entices Heat fans, since he seems as the perfect fit next to Bam Adebayo. He can score just about everywhere on the floor as well, and is a very active player around the rim, which leads to many put-backs.

And that’s basically what Miami is looking for in a big. It just comes down to their free agency decision. There’s a plethora of bigs available this off-season, which could change Miami’s entire draft board.

Another player that I believe Miami may have their eyes on if he falls in this draft is Theo Maledon.

He’s an interesting fit for Miami, since he was a solid guard defender this past season, while doing it Internationally for France. He’s a very good play-maker as well, since he has a great feel and vision for the game.

His only issue is that he’s not the best shooter, but is that a big deal for this current Heat team?

Obviously you want as much shooting on your roster as possible, but this could form a back-court for the future.

Tyler Herro’s outstanding scoring abilities were on display in his rookie season, which means that these two could possibly be an intriguing fit.

Theo taking the hardest defensive assignments, while being the point guard play-maker on offense. And Tyler utilizing his impressive offensive package. He just seems to be the type of guy that Miami would love to develop.

As mentioned previously as well, there’s a good chance they don’t keep this pick, but if they do, they have plenty of options.

Is Jerami Grant a Good Fit For Miami?

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Well, what else is new. Another free agent that is expressing interest in the Miami Heat.

This one is definitely intriguing for Miami, since Jerami Grant is a young and emerging player right now.

For starters, he will most likely be opting out of the last year of his deal, which is $9 million. Miami currently has a $9.3 Million Mid-Level Exception that they can offer as well. He may have some interest in Miami, but does Miami express the same interest?

I actually believe not. For one, if Miami will be going after a free agent power forward or big, it will not be to the likes of a Derrick Jones Jr type player.

Miami wasn’t even giving DJJ any run during this bubble run, so what makes you think they make a big push to throw a bunch of money at him.

He does bring some positive aspects to this team, such as his defensive abilities. He is labeled as a guy that can guard almost every position, but once again, so was Derrick Jones Jr this season.

And this is not to keep reiterating that these two are equivalent, but just to point out that this may not be the guy Miami will go all in for.

Jerami has made some huge strides in his game though this season on the offensive side of the ball. He now has a respectable three ball and takes initiative to put the ball down and attack the rim. These attributes definitely mean that he will have a bunch of teams taking a long look at him this off-season, but I’m just not so sure it will be Miami.

He is also very capable of making more money than a $9 Million Mid-Level Exception. And when he gets that offer, he will most likely take it.

There will be many young teams with cap space, such as the Phoenix Suns, who would love to bring in an evolving player like Jerami Grant.

Miami, on the other hand, has their eyes on a prize much bigger.