Feedback on Miami Heat’s addition of Trevor Ariza and what Miami is getting
Some quick hits on the Heat’s acquisition of Trevor Ariza from Oklahoma City for Meyers Leonard’s contract and a future second-round pick:
▪ Let’s eliminate any pretense of the Heat needing a shot-blocking, volume-rebounding traditional power forward alongside Bam Adebayo.
There’s simply no role for plodding, offensively-limited bigs to play with Bam. Not now. And not any time in the immediate future.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s lineup decisions — and this front office’s moves over the past two years — reinforce that conclusion.
And the decision has proven to be the right one, considering small forward-turned-power forward Jae Crowder was instrumental in the Heat’s run to the NBA Finals last season.
With Ariza, the Heat is acquiring a player who has almost always been a shooting guard or small forward.
With the Heat, the 6-8 Ariza figures to play at times with Adebayo and Butler in a lineup that essentially has four wing players (including whatever guards are on the court).
And that’s just fine, a scout with another playoff team said Wednesday.
“In today’s day and age, Ariza can be a four [power forward],” the scout said. “There’s so little distinction between threes and fours when you look at who’s on the floor. I don’t think that’s a problem at all.
“He’s a 3-and-D guy. He hasn’t played in a year, which might not be a bad thing for a 35-year-old. He’s a smart defender. He’s in the [Andre] Iguodala category. Unlike P.J. Tucker, he can’t play five [center].”
The Heat had explored acquiring Tucker, but the Rockets reportedly are asking for a considerable return.
Ariza has averaged only 4.8 rebounds in his career, but the scout wasn’t concerned with the Heat’s rebounding with Ariza in the power rotation because “they rebound well enough with Bam and Butler.”
Kelly Olynyk, a traditional big with good range, will continue to get the majority of minutes alongside Adebayo because he has played well recently.
But every other “power forward” the Heat will pair with Adebayo could be considered a wing, a player with small forward experience.
▪ The Heat’s hope is that it can get the Ariza who averaged 11.0 points and shot 40 percent on threes in 21 games (all starts) for Portland from January through mid-March (after his trade from the Kings) before he opted out of the bubble.
If he can shoot threes at that level, it would be at a much higher clip than anyone who’s getting regular minutes in the frontcourt rotation alongside Adebayo and Butler, with Olynyk (playing better recently) at 33.5 percent, Iguodala at 34.4 and Okpala at 29.4.
▪ During his Blazers tenure, Ariza — a traditionally strong defender — allowed the player he’s defending to shoot 45.6 percent. That’s worse than what Iguodala (40.0) and Okpala (42.3) are doing this year but better than Olynyk (47.7).
▪ Ariza has now been traded 11 times, most in NBA history.
In a terrific Zach Lowe profile of Ariza on ESPN.com in 2018, Ariza admits he asked Nuggets coach and then-Pelicans assistant Mike Malone “how come I keep getting traded? What am I doing wrong?”
Ariza told Lowe: “I look at myself as a player that can adjust to everything — a chameleon. Every system isn’t for every player, so it’s about how you adjust. I think that’s the hard, and the fun, part.”
Ariza thoroughly fits the mature, grounded, prepared Heat prototype we’ve seen here with late-career imports Ray Allen, Shane Battier and Iguodala, among others.
As Lowe noted in that piece, Ariza “is usually the first player to arrive at home games. He warms up early, and sits at his locker, watching film of Houston’s opponent playing on a big screen. Ariza is an important, mature, calming presence in every locker room. “
In that 2018 ESPN piece, deceased NBA legend Kobe Bryant told Lowe: “Trevor is tough. There is no punk in Trevor at all. You’re not going to bully him, and you’re not going to intimidate him.”
Bryant said that during Ariza’s time with the Lakers (2007-2009), “We were inseparable. If you saw Trevor, you saw me. He didn’t need me to show him how to work. He had it already -- that ambition.”
▪ If Ariza proves worthy of minutes, they could come at the expense of Okpala, who has flashed recently.
“With Okpala, my question is can he shoot it well enough?” the scout said. “He certainly has enough athleticism and defensive mind-set to be a 3-and-D guy. He’s a big-time athlete.”
▪ The necessary inclusion of Leonard in the deal removes the Heat’s best cap facilitator for a trade for San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge, Sacramento’s Harrison Barnes or anyone earning a substantial salary.
To acquire a player earning $16-million plus, Miami likely would need to sacrifice Iguodala, who is earning $15 million, or Olynyk, who’s at $12.8 million. Miami prefers not to deal either unless it’s for a high-level player.
Trading Avery Bradley ($5.6 million) and Mo Harkless ($3.6 million) can get you a player in the $10 million range from a cap standpoint.
The Heat could still pursue Aldridge if he’s bought out — an increasing possibility — but it’s dubious how he would get minutes here if Olynyk keeps playing well and if Ariza rounds into form. He likely would have more opportunities in Phoenix, Portland, Boston or elsewhere.
The Heat had interest in the Spurs’ Rudy Gay, but that’s unlikely now with Ariza’s acquisition.
▪ Not sure there’s a use for the Heat’s $7.6 million trade exception by Monday’s deadline.
Sacramento power forward Nemanja Bjelica would fit into that exception, as we’ve noted, but there’s no need for him with Ariza added to the frontcourt mix.
And by trading Leonard, Miami loses its $4.7 million disabled player exception.
▪ Ariza has averaged 1.49 steals in his career, which is 85th in NBA history and 15th among active players. Butler is 11th among active players at 1.62 and Chris Paul first at 2.16.
This story was originally published March 17, 2021 at 4:42 PM.
