With enough nurturing, better coaching and a more ideal situation, sometimes a player’s “bad contract” can become a good one. Here are three players the Miami Heat could trade for whose value could be worth restoring.
Andrew Wiggins, forward, Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are in a similar position as the Miami Heat. Golden State has had a longer run with their core guys than Miami. But both teams have to decide if they want to part ways with guys who have been crucial to their teams.
Andrew Wiggins has had an up-and-down career. Wiggins hasn’t been the same player since the 2022 finals and has three years remaining on his $84 million contract. Spurts have demonstrated that Wiggins have all the necessary skills to be a top-tier wing in the NBA.
Wiggins’ career has been characterized by inconsistent play. With career lows in points (13.2), assists (1.7), steals (0.6), and field goals made per game (5.0) this past season, Wiggins was clearly not doing well. Wiggins also struggled with some off-court problems.
Perhaps Wiggins is overdue for a season of recovery, though. Wiggins would give Miami the size they need on the squad. He can play either forward position and, at six feet eight, would provide Miami’s lineup much-needed athleticism. Heat Culture might not be Wiggins’ cup of tea, but it might be just what the player needs for a season of comebacks.
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Heat Notes: D. Robinson, Butler, Draft, CBA
After a down year in 2022/23, Duncan Robinson enjoyed perhaps his best season as a pro in ’23/24. The Heat forward boosted his scoring average from 6.4 to 12.9 points per game, made 39.5% of his three-pointers, and handed out a career-high 2.8 assists per contest.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman (subscription required) reports that Robinson’s five-year, $90MM contract initially appeared to be an albatross that the Heat would struggle to cut. With just two years remaining on the contract (at $19.4MM and a partially guaranteed $19.9MM), Winderman contends that Robinson appears like a good buy, particularly given that he feels he still has potential to grow as a player after turning 30 last month.
“It’s crazy, but I just turned thirty,” Robinson remarked.What could be even more absurd, though, is that I still feel like I’m a long way from being perfect. And while some may suggest that 28 is the equivalent of whatever your prime is, I believe that prime is still ahead of me, so we’ll see.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Jimmy Butler remains committed to the idea of finishing his NBA career with the Heat, he recently told Rohan GQ’s Nadkarni.”It feels like home, dude. Butler remarked, “I truly care about this community and the people that live here.”Miami has welcomed me in.” I was asked to provide something to them that they haven’t had since LeBron, D-Wade, and C-Bosh. I’d like to carry that out. I’ll be back on their ass as soon as I get this knee fixed, and everyone will know it.In any case, Butler spoke with Nadkarni just a few days prior to Pat Riley’s news conference to conclude the season. However, there is no sign that Butler’s perspective will alter in response to Riley’s remarks regarding his star forward.
- Riley has previously stated that he is not “a draft-pick guy,” but Winderman reports that the Heat will have a first-round pick for the third consecutive year. The team has made good use of these picks in previous drafts, selecting Nikola Jovic at No. 27 in 2022 and Jamie Jaquez at No. 18 in 2023. After the team’s first-round playoff exit, head coach Erik Spoelstra hinted that Miami’s front office would have more than two months to consider how to use this year’s 15th and 43rd overall selections.”Last year, I think I had three days to get up to the draft,” remarked Speelstra.”The eight weeks preceding my believe that (this year) I’ll just be extremely confused from overthinking things. I will remain out of your path. I mean, with all this extra time on my hands, I might be dangerous. I will not impede our scouting department’s work. Adam Simon, the general manager, and his team do a fantastic job getting ready for that draft.
Anthony Chiang breaks into each player on the Heat’s roster individually in two pieces for The Miami Herald. Chiang and Barry Jackson also examine how Miami’s roster flexibility will be impacted by the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement for the upcoming summer.
