New intriguing name linked to Heat in trade talks. And more fallout, reaction on Ariza
A six-pack of Miami Heat notes on a Thursday:
▪ An interesting name, and potentially one of the best players in this summer’s underwhelming free agent class, was linked to the Heat for the first time Thursday:
Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie
Respected veteran NBA writer Ian Begley, now of SNY-TV, reported that the Heat and Pistons have expressed interest in the emerging 27-year-old point guard, who has been out since Dec. 27 because of a partially torn ACL that required surgery.
Brooklyn has said it’s unlikely he will play again this season.
Dinwiddie has a $12.3 million player option for 2021-22, and the presumption is that he will opt out to sign a lucrative long-term contract. Any team acquiring him would own his Bird Rights.
He’s earning $11.4 million this season, money that would be easy for the Heat to match in a trade.
This would be an intriguing option, because Miami then could operate as an over-the-cap team this summer and retain a nucleus of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Dinwiddie and Kelly Olynyk if Miami chooses to re-sign him and whatever else isn’t included in a Dinwiddie trade (such as Duncan Robinson or Kendrick Nunn or Precious Achiuwa or KZ Okpala or Trevor Ariza or Avery Bradley).
There could be potential luxury tax issues for the Heat this summer in that scenario.
It’s also intriguing because a case could be made that Dinwiddie would be among the top five unrestricted free agents available this summer, behind Kawhi Leonard and in a group with Jrue Holiday, Kyle Lowry, Victor Oladipo and Demar DeRozan.
And it’s worth exploring because Dinwiddie would be a potential long-term solution at point guard.
Dinwiddie averaged 20.6 points, 6.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 64 games for the Nets last season, including 49 starts. That was the third consecutive season that his scoring average jumped dramatically.
He averaged 6.7 points in three games and limited minutes this season before the season-ending injury.
Now here’s the problem with the Dinwiddie scenario: The Heat doesn’t have the draft inventory that the Nets might like to recoup after trading three future first-round picks to Houston in the James Harden deal. And Miami likely wouldn’t be able to fill Brooklyn’s need for another strong power rotation player, unless the Nets believe Achiuwa is ready to give them quality minutes behind DeAndre Jordan.
And though a hypothetical trade of Bradley, Maurice Harkless and impending restricted free agents Robinson or Nunn could warrant consideration from the Nets, it would also diminish the Heat for the remainder of this season because Dinwiddie likely won’t be returning this season.
Perhaps an offer of Bradley, Achiuwa and Harkless could be a conversation starter, because Achiuwa would be a cheap power rotation player for Brooklyn for 3 1/2 years and Bradley a reasonably-priced helpful rotation piece through 2021-22. And that offer would not dramatically diminish the Heat, because Bradley hasn’t been available and Achiuwa’s role has been reduced recently.
Here’s the other problem: Dinwiddie is a career 31.8 percent three-point shooter and 30.8 last season. Since the start of last season, he’s 125 for 407 on threes. And Miami ideally would like to surround Butler and Adebayo with skilled three-point shooters. So this should give the Heat front office at least some pause for thought.
The fascinating aspect of this for the Heat would be this: Do you want to strengthen an Eastern Conference rival (probably the Eastern Conference front-runner) and somewhat diminish your own roster this season in exchange for the long-term benefit of adding a 27-year-old point guard who was on the cusp of becoming an All-Star before the injury this season?
(The Heat obviously would need assurances that he likely would re-sign with them before making any such trade.)
The Heat obviously would prefer such a trade during August free agency, not know.
Brooklyn hasn’t said whether it will trade Dinwiddie, but the Nets would incur an even larger luxury tax bill if they re-sign him to a big deal this summer. Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving are all under contract next season.
NBA players typically come back strong from ACL injuries. Dinwiddie tore the ACL in his other knee (left) when he played at Colorado.
▪ According to a source in touch with the Heat, one reason the Heat jumped on the Trevor Ariza trade — instead of waiting until closer to the deadline to make a move — was because of an inability to agree on trade compensation for San Antonio’s Rudy Gay or P.J. Tucker, who was dealt from Houston to Milwaukee on Wednesday.
The Spurs asked for more than what the Heat was willing to give for Gay, who was the preferred choice of some internally, the source said.
Trade conversations involving the Spurs’ LaMarcus Aldridge also went nowhere.
And as widely reported, the Rockets wanted something more significant for Tucker than an expiring contract and got that from Milwaukee.
(Houston traded Tucker, Rodions Kurucs and Bucks’ 2022 first-round pick back to Milwaukee for D.J. Augustin, D.J. Wilson and 2023 unprotected first-round pick. Houston also gets right to swap its 2021 second-round pick for Milwaukee’s first-round pick unless it falls between one and nine.)
As AP’s Tim Reynolds noted, the Heat and Spurs have never made a trade, despite the great respect between the team’s front offices and coaching staffs.
The Spurs apparently aren’t inclined (at least for now) to take merely expiring contracts for Gay, who is earning $14.5 million in the final year of his deal.
The Ariza trade provided Miami with its only opportunity to add an experienced, respected, playoff-tested, defensively skilled, three-point shooting wing without relinquishing anything of value in return (Meyers Leonard’s contract and a 2027 second-rounder).
▪ ESPN analyst and former Memphis and Knicks coach David Fizdale, formerly a longtime Heat assistant, endorsed the Ariza trade on “The Jump.”
“If he can play anything like the Trevor Ariza we know, he adds that dimension, 6-7 defensive player, long, can switch,” Fitzdale said. “You can’t leave him open. And he’s around other tough guys. He’s a tough dude. He’s a tough-minded dude. I don’t know if he will give you everything Jae Crowder gave you because Jae Crowder is a younger guy who is still in that wheelhouse…
“Now he’s with a team that has a chance to win it. You might see a motivated Trevor Ariza come out and play really well.”
▪ Former NBA forward Robert Horry, also an ESPN analyst, said: “What I like best about Trevor is that old-school mentality. He’s a little nasty. You need that in the playoffs when you try to get in the face of somebody or get them off their game. Trevor is that guy. You have to appreciate him.”
▪ One of the mild disappointments of Herro’s second season has been the dip in his three-point percentage, from 38.9 as a rookie to 33.3. That is tied for 46th of 54 NBA shooting guards, but ahead of two players often linked to the Heat — Bradley Beal (32.9) and Victor Oladipo (33.2).
Beal isn’t available; Oladipo might be available.
“I’ve been in and out of the lineup for the whole year,” said Herro, who has missed seven games with a neck injury, three with a hip injury and one due to COVID protocols. “People know what I’m capable of. So once I’m in rhythm and playing how I can play, people know what I can do.”
▪ Quick stuff: Butler now has seven consecutive games in which he has scored at least 24 points and shot at least 50 percent from the field. Per Stathead, only LeBron James did that more games in a row (11) as a member of the Heat. The most Dwyane Wade or Shaquille O’Neal ever did that for the Heat? Six times in a row…
Okpala, who figures to lose playing time with the addition of Ariza, didn’t manage a point or rebound in 24 minutes Wednesday but did have an assist and block and his activity on defense has been an asset. Opposing players are shooting 42.5 percent when Okpala guards them; those players shoot 46.9 percent overall…
Most of the Heat guards are in shooting slumps: Goran Dragic is 4 for his last 26 from the field, Herro 8 for his last 24 and Nunn 11 for his last 39.
This story was originally published March 18, 2021 at 12:41 PM.
