Even though it’s over, Christmas is almost over. This indicates that the Miami Heat trade rumor season has officially begun, and that the NBA trade deadline is just six weeks away, according to Pat Riley, the president of the Heat. Even while there are a lot of positive aspects about this Heat squad right now, there’s also a feeling that they’re just a few pieces away from becoming a legitimate contender for an NBA title. The Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan is one of the pieces that many people in the NBA feel.
This is the rationale behind the latest trade idea between the Bulls and Heat via Bleacher Report, which would offer the Heat DeRozan’s seasoned presence at the four and provide Miami with a potent starting five: Alex Caruso, another current Bull, Bam Adebayo, DeRozan, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and others. Not the youngest group, but certainly one of the toughest.
Commencing at Five With DeMar DeRozan, A Ripe Old
Undoubtedly, there are drawbacks to these Miami Heat trade speculations. With DeRozan and Butler both 34 years old, this would be an elderly group. Nor is it a team that relies primarily on point-guard performance. Similar to Herro, Caruso is a more natural combo guard, so the Heat would essentially be depending on the group’s collective playmaking skills to make up for the absence of a pure point guard. Everyone in that lineup is capable of dishing out five or more assists per game.
“Though Zach LaVine appears ready for a departure, the Bulls’ other veterans are significantly less confident. According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, there is genuinely interest in a new contract between the team and DeMar DeRozan, albeit that negotiations have stagnated. On the other hand, Chicago is considering offers for DeRozan.
Rebuilding seems to be the wisest course of action for the Bulls, so a trade still seems likely in the end. The Heat may feel pressure to move now that Jimmy Butler is on the verge of turning 34 because they haven’t successfully landed a big player in a long time. Some of their best trade assets would have to be given up in order to get Caruso’s resilient point-of-attack defense and DeRozan’s inside-the-arc attacking ability. The Heat, who rank 14th in both offensive and defensive efficiency, may win the championship with this transaction.
Miami Heat Trade Rumors Tempered by Finances
There would be problems with 3-point shooting ability in addition to aging. DeMar DeRozan and Butler are both wings that like to dish out points from two-point range, but on their few opportunities this season, they have both shot the ball very well from the arc (35.5% for DeRozan and 37.7% for Butler).
Caruso, who is averaging a career-high 3.4 points per game this season and shooting 46.4% from outside the arc, could be able to make up for it.
The financial problem is the other one. Moving forward, Miami is taking extreme caution with its finances. Although they are paying the luxury tax this year, they do not want to put themselves in a difficult position going forward due to new, stricter CBA rules that take effect after this year. The Heat may have to pay Caruso more than they would want because he has a $9.9 million contract for the upcoming season (which is not guaranteed) and DeRozan is likely to get a new deal.
“DeMar DeRozan would be the one that has legs out of all the players that are floating for the Heat, they’re not close to doing anything now,” an Eastern Conference executive told Heavy Sports. “He is the closest thing they will find to what they are searching for.”
