How can Trevor Ariza help the Heat? A look at the possibilities and the fit
The Miami Heat has rarely picked the future over the present. The philosophy is almost always focused on winning now, and that’s even more true when stars are on the roster.
“We feel a great responsibility that when you get somebody like Jimmy [Butler], we have to put together a team that is ready to compete right now,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said in December. “It’s not about pushing this thing down the line.”
The acquisition of veteran forward Trevor Ariza isn’t flashy, but it’s another move that surrounds the Heat’s leading duo of Bam Adebayo and Butler with a win-now player who complements their games.
Miami completed a trade Wednesday with the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire Ariza in exchange for Meyers Leonard and a 2027 second-round pick. Ariza began participating in the NBA’s COVID-19 testing protocols in advance of the trade, and he could be available to play as early as Friday against the Indiana Pacers at AmericanAirlines Arena (8 p.m., Fox Sports Sun).
“He’s kind of like a three-and-defensive guy,” Adebayo said of Ariza following Wednesday’s loss to the Grizzlies in Memphis. “Defense helps us at the end of the day and he spaces the floor. I feel like that will go well with me and Jimmy.”
A three-and-D label might sound limited to some, but it’s the type of player who has worked so well next to Adebayo and Butler. It’s the role that forward Jae Crowder played as a starter during the Heat’s postseason run to the Finals, and it’s also how accomplished veteran forward Andre Iguodala has been used for most of his minutes since he was acquired by the Heat in a trade last season.
Like Crowder and Iguodala, Ariza (6-8, 215) also fits the mold of the modern-day small-ball power forward who can help unlock some of the Heat’s more versatile and switchable lineups.
“He’s everything that the Miami Heat organization and players are about,” Butler said. “Hard-nosed, plays defense, makes shots, gets everybody involved, team-first type of guy. I can’t wait to get in the lab with him.”
But one of the questions surrounding the move is: What will the 35-year-old Ariza look like on the court after missing more than a year of games? He last played in an NBA game on March 10, 2020, as he opted out of playing in the NBA’s Walt Disney World bubble last season and has been away from the Thunder this season.
Iguodala was in a similar situation when he was traded to the Heat on Feb. 6 2020. It had been almost eight months since the then-36-year-old Iguodala last played in an NBA game, and he was on the court three days later to play 23 minutes on Feb. 9.
The Heat’s hope is that Ariza will be on that same fast track despite his one-year NBA hiatus.
“I just want to get him in the gym, get him with our staff, get him with the team, see where he is,” Spoelstra said of Ariza. “I know he’s in great shape. I know his fitness level is extremely high. I know he has been putting in a lot of work. You can’t fake that. In that regard, yeah he hasn’t played in an NBA game in a year. But from a fitness level, from everything I’ve heard in talking to him, it reminds me in a similar way of where Andre was last year.”
The Heat has already been one of the league’s best defensive teams, statistically. Miami entered Thursday with the NBA’s top defensive rating since the start of February and the third-best defensive rating for the season.
The addition of Ariza brings another switchable and experienced defender, with his 7-2 wingspan, who has played in 102 playoff games during the first 16 seasons of his NBA career. While Iguodala has been used as the Heat’s small-ball four in most late-game situations this season, Ariza is another capable option down the stretch of games.
There might even be clutch-time situations in possession games when Ariza and Iguodala are on the court together if the Heat needs a defensive stop. With this current Heat roster, a defense-first lineup of Avery Bradley, Butler, Ariza, Iguodala and Adebayo is possible.
“He backs down from no challenge, no matter who you are,” Butler said of Ariza’s defense. “He’s great at playing the passing lanes, contesting shots, he’s a great rebounder as well. But he’s just a smart vet. He knows where he wants to get on the floor on the defensive end, he knows what to take away from guys.”
Ariza’s primary offensive task will be helping to space the floor for Adebayo and Butler. He has shot 35.2 percent on threes during his NBA career, including 37.2 percent on 3.9 three-point attempts per game last season.
Ariza is especially good from the corners, as he has shot 42 percent on corner threes in his past eight seasons. According to ESPN’s Kirk Goldsberry, Ariza has made the fourth-most corner threes (382) in the NBA during the past five-plus seasons behind only Klay Thompson, Danny Green and P.J. Tucker.
That strength will fit well within the Heat’s offense, as corner threes have accounted for about 10 percent of its shot attempts this season. That’s the eighth-highest corner three frequency number in the NBA, according to Cleaning The Glass.
“I think you can easily see based on his resume and track record where he can fit in defensively and that’s as a Swiss Army knife defender with a great deal of experience,” Spoelstra said of Ariza. “He has played in a lot of different systems. He can guard every position. He’s smart and super long. That immediately fits into our system.
“Then offensively, he provides that spacing, three-point shooting. He has been one of the better three-point spacers for several years now and I don’t think that will be an adjustment for him or us.”
The Heat’s rotation is already crowded, but it has looked to be one frontcourt rotation player short since the season began.
Miami has found an effective starting frontcourt in Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk, but there will likely be minutes for Ariza off the bench when he’s ready to make his Heat debut.
There is also still time for the Heat to make another move before the March 25 trade deadline. Miami remains active in the trade market and still holds its $7.6 million trade exception that expires Monday, and adding a player via the buyout market after the deadline is another possibility.
As for the trade to land Ariza, the Heat believes the move makes it a better team right now. And as Spoelstra mentioned in December, that’s what matters.
“We’re excited about it,” Spoelstra said. “We think it’s a great fit for him and for us to be able to help us in our ultimate goal.”
This story was originally published March 18, 2021 at 1:32 PM.
