RealGM

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MIA GETS: DeMar DeRozan
MIA GIVES: Duncan Robinson & Nikola Jovic
WHY FOR MIA? The Heat add a win now talent that can help replace Butler’s scoring from the wing spot giving them two good go-to options in Herro and DeRozan and two good secondary options in Adebayo & Wiggins. Herro and DeRozan is not ideal defensively, but the Heat can use Wiggins as their POA defender while still having both Ware and Adebayo on the backline to erase mistakes.

PG - Herro / Rozier
SG - DeRozan / Jaquez / Larsson
SF - Wiggins / Highsmith
PF - Ware / Anderson / Johnson
C - Adebayo / Love

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SAC Gets: Duncan Robinson & Nikola Jovic
SAC Gives: DeMar DeRozan
Why for SAC? A starting & closing lineup consisting of 4 below average defenders (Monk, LaVine, DeRozan, & Sabonis) is not going to get it done so the Kings cash in on DeRozan for a 21 year old forward prospect that they can either keep or look to package in another trade for more of an immediate upgrade (e.g., Cam Johnson). Jovic does provide the Kings some much needed size & length while also being able to space the floor at a high level. He’s also an underrated passer and defender IMO.

PG - Monk / Carter
SG - LaVine / Ellis
SF - Murray / Robinson
PF - Jovic
C - Sabonis / Valanciunas

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Done. No take backs.

No thanks. No interest in DeRozan.

BBallFreak wrote:No thanks. No interest in DeRozan.

Why?

bpcox05 wrote:

BBallFreak wrote:No thanks. No interest in DeRozan.

Why?

His contract runs a year longer than we want, he doesn't want to play for you because you're not a contender, but neither are we, and he doesn't fit, basketball wise.

Also, I don't feel like giving up Jovic for someone as old as him makes sense.

BBallFreak wrote:

bpcox05 wrote:

BBallFreak wrote:No thanks. No interest in DeRozan.

Why?

His contract runs a year longer than we want, he doesn't want to play for you because you're not a contender, but neither are we, and he doesn't fit, basketball wise.

Also, I don't feel like giving up Jovic for someone as old as him makes sense.

As for your contract point, are you assuming Wiggins opts out? I think he might be more inclined to opt in honestly, and if he does, Miami won’t be able to offer a max contract during the 2026 off-season. I think it might make more sense to target the 2027 off-season. Even if you extend Herro for a 30% max, you’ll still have enough cap to offer another max contract to pair up with Herro, Adebayo, and Ware. DeRozan’s contract would end at the perfect time in this case.

What makes you think DeRozan only wants to play for a contender? If that’s the case, why would he have chosen to sign with the Kings in the first place? I think he just wants to be on a competitive team that’s in the mix for the playoffs.

Lastly, can you explain why DeRozan doesn’t fit basketball wise?

bpcox05 wrote:

BBallFreak wrote:

bpcox05 wrote:Why?

His contract runs a year longer than we want, he doesn't want to play for you because you're not a contender, but neither are we, and he doesn't fit, basketball wise.

Also, I don't feel like giving up Jovic for someone as old as him makes sense.

As for your contract point, are you assuming Wiggins opts out? I think he might be more inclined to opt in honestly, and if he does, Miami won’t be able to offer a max contract during the 2026 off-season. I think it might make more sense to target the 2027 off-season. Even if you extend Herro for a 30% max, you’ll still have enough cap to offer another max contract to pair up with Herro, Adebayo, and Ware. DeRozan’s contract would end at the perfect time in this case.

One contact is ready to move. Another one just like it? That puts is in a bad situation. The other point on contracts is that we get out of the luxury tax and get l gain flexibility by just letting Duncan expire.

What makes you think DeRozan only wants to play for a contender? If that’s the case, why would he have chosen to sign with the Kings in the first place? I think he just wants to be on a competitive team that’s in the mix for the playoffs.

Because when you guys traded Fox he made comments implying just that.

Lastly, can you explain why DeRozan doesn’t fit basketball wise?

Sure, he's not a great shooter and he shouldn't be a first scoring option. He's not a very good defender so he shouldn't start next to Herro, but he's too expensive to bring off the bench. We basically thin out our frontcourt to get a guy who doesn't really compliment our best player. I'm just not seeing it.

BBallFreak wrote:

bpcox05 wrote:

BBallFreak wrote:His contract runs a year longer than we want, he doesn't want to play for you because you're not a contender, but neither are we, and he doesn't fit, basketball wise.

Also, I don't feel like giving up Jovic for someone as old as him makes sense.

As for your contract point, are you assuming Wiggins opts out? I think he might be more inclined to opt in honestly, and if he does, Miami won’t be able to offer a max contract during the 2026 off-season. I think it might make more sense to target the 2027 off-season. Even if you extend Herro for a 30% max, you’ll still have enough cap to offer another max contract to pair up with Herro, Adebayo, and Ware. DeRozan’s contract would end at the perfect time in this case.

One contact is ready to move. Another one just like it? That puts is in a bad situation. The other point on contracts is that we get out of the luxury tax and get l gain flexibility by just letting Duncan expire.

What makes you think DeRozan only wants to play for a contender? If that’s the case, why would he have chosen to sign with the Kings in the first place? I think he just wants to be on a competitive team that’s in the mix for the playoffs.

Because when you guys traded Fox he made comments implying just that.

Lastly, can you explain why DeRozan doesn’t fit basketball wise?

Sure, he's not a great shooter and he shouldn't be a first scoring option. He's not a very good defender so he shouldn't start next to Herro, but he's too expensive to bring off the bench. We basically thin out our frontcourt to get a guy who doesn't really compliment our best player. I'm just not seeing it.

I’m not sure I understand what you mean by your contract points. Wondering if there is a typo in there. But again, the Heat are still setup for that 2027 off-season after this trade.

I don’t remember him saying he only wants to play for a contender. Can you link where he said that?

DeRozan is actually shooting 36% from three this year (39% on 4.0 3PA since the beginning of Jan) and 40% from the corner 3 (he shot 39.4% from the corner 3 last year too) so I wouldn’t write him off so quickly.

I wouldn’t make DeRozan their #1 option. I’d still have Herro as the #1, but DeRozan as a #2 should work especially with strong secondary scorers like Adebayo and Wiggins.

I addressed the defensive concerns in the original post in that you’d ask Wiggins to take the best offensive player between 1-3 and make him your POA defender (allowing Herro and DeRozan to take the easier defensive matchups) and you’d still have Ware and Adebayo at PF and C to clean things up defensively. I think it’d work.



That being said, perhaps it makes more sense to swap Rozier for Robinson in the deal. It gives the Heat another frontcourt rotational piece to use while at the same time cutting Rozier’s deadweight contract. Not to mention it saves them a bit more money this year as well.