The Miami Heat are right where they were expected to be at the beginning of the season. While the Heat weren’t expected to be serious contenders in the Eastern Conference this year, they are in position to earn a top-six seed. So, the Heat — who have been shorthanded all season long — could have a tough decision over the next few days determining whether to make a move or not at the trade deadline.
Heat’s Trade Deadline Approach Reportedly Hinges on the Health Of Star Guard
Miami sits in eighth place in the conference with a 24-22 record. The Heat defeated Utah 147-116, tying their season-high points, as Bam Adebayo produced a 26-point and 15-rebound double-double to lead three players who scored at least 20 points. In total, seven Heat players scored in double-figures, including all five starters.
The Heat, who have won five of their last 12, are just one game behind sixth-place Philadelphia. At worst, the Heat should be a Play-in participant, as they are five games clear of Milwaukee, which will likely be without Giannis Antetokounmpo for at least a month.
Injuries and defense have been a major problem for the Heat. No Heat player has appeared in more than 41 games. Of course, Terry Rozier hasn’t played all season, though he wasn’t expected to be in the Heat’s rotation anyway. But Tyler Herro has only played in 11 contests. The Heat are just 4-7 in those contests.
Tyler Herro’s Importance
Speaking of Herro, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel believes the Heat’s trade deadline approach could hinge on his health. Herro has missed the last five games due to a costochondral injury in his ribs. While Herro won’t play against Phoenix tonight, he is expected to be available when they return home against Orlando on Wednesday.
“There could have been a middle ground for the Miami Heat as the Feb. 5 NBA trading deadline approaches. Windaman wrote. “And that would have made the decision far easier for a team that insists it never quits on the playoff race … even when it often means, seemingly as in this moment, another play-in chase. With a healthy and available Tyler Herro, the Heat front office could have split the maybe when it came time to decide whether to sell or stand pat on the personnel front at the deadline.”
Herro is Miami’s top playmaker. Herro has scored 20+ points in nine of his 11 appearances and averages 21.9 points on a career-best 49.7% shooting from the field. He knocks down 2.2 threes at a 35.8% clip, though his 2.7 assists per game are the lowest since his rookie campaign in 2019-20.
What Could Miami Do At The Trade Deadline?
Miami has an open roster spot. The Heat are $1.6 million below the tax and $7.1 million from being hard-capped at the first apron. The Heat also has two trade exceptions that will expire on February 6: Jimmy Butler ($7.7 million) and Josh Richardson ($3.0 million). They also have $16.8 million trade exception from Duncan Robinson’s trade.
Norman Powell, Simone Fontecchio, and Andrew Wiggins are trade candidates. Powell and Fontecchio are on expiring contracts, while Wiggins has a $30 million player option for next year.
Miami is fourth in the league in scoring at nearly 120 points a game. The Heat have scored 135 or more points 11 times, topping 140 on eight occassions. Despite this scoring prowess, they rank 20th in offensive efficiency due to their inconsistency. The Heat are not a great shooting team, but they do shoot it well from deep and get to the foul line.
Similarly, the Heat rank seventh in defensive rating, though they are just 24th in scoring at 118.4 points per game. Their 1.5 scoring margin is fifth-best in the Eastern Conference. The Heat defends pretty well all over the court, though particularly the 3-point line. However, they are only an average defensive rebounding team and give up the seventh-most second-chance points at 15.8.
Heat Needs A Big Man to Compliment Bam Adebayo
Miami could use a rim-protector and interior scoring to go alongside Bam Adebayo. Kel’el Ware has shown improvement in year two and has been extremely efficient. He also has been solid on the defensive end, but only plays 24 minutes a contest. Ware has sat out four straight games with a hamstring injury.
Nikola Jovic continues to show flashes, though consistency also still eludes the 22-year-old. Jovic, who has struggled shooting the ball, attempts more than half his shots from the 3-point line and doesn’t rebound or protect the rim. Additionally, he plays only 19 minutes per game. Therefore, Fontecchio has had to play the majority of his minutes at the four, and he is undersized there and doesn’t provide the Heat any interior scoring.
Would The Heat Move On For Norman Powell After One Season
Miami has been linked to several trade candidates: Ja Morant, Jonathan Kuminga, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. NBA Insider Marc Stein even suggested recentlythat the Heat move Wiggins to the Warriors for Kuminga.
“For weeks, the thought — through no fault of their own — was to swap out Powell and Andrew Wiggins for draft capital, to either further fuel the youth pipeline or to amass and then package picks in a trade for a potential leading man (preferably a Greek leading man),” Windaman added. “The thought from this perspective is that by moving Wiggins, it would further clear the runway for Pelle Larsson, who continues to display an encouraging trajectory.”
“In that regard, moving Wiggins should remain a consideration,” Windaman stated. “With Powell, though, it’s different. Because with Herro out or limited, there is not another scorer on the roster capable of stepping into that void to at least keep the Heat competitive, as they insist, Adebayo’s recent breakout notwithstanding.”
Powell is not only having a career season, but he has also become an elite one-on-one scorer. Known as an elite shooter, Powell averages 1.19 points per isolation, which ranks 14th in the league. Overall, he is producing 23.2 points and 2.9 threes while shooting 48.1% from the field and 40% from the 3-point line.
Miami controls all its future first-round selections. But the Heat only has three future second-round selections, including one after 2027.
