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We’ve officially reached that part of the NBA season again: DeMar DeRozan to Heat rumors are beginning to appear. Given the way the Chicago Bulls have struggled as of late, that’s far from a surprise.
And while that could’ve been great news years ago, that might not be in their best interests right now. The new CBA and the luxury tax could play a big role, not to mention the fact that, while he’s good, he’s not one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history, as the Bulls could imply with their asking price for him.
Why the Heat shouldn’t trade for DeRozan
With that in mind, we’ll take an in-depth look at the Miami Heat trade news and make a case to explain why Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra should sit this one and not even consider trading picks — or anything — to land the former Toronto Raptors star.
Overpricing
DeMar DeRozan is currently in the midst of the final year of his three-year, $81,900,000 deal with the Chicago Bulls. He’s posted solid numbers throughout the course of his tenure in the Windy City, so that’s pretty much the base salary he’s going to ask going forward.
The new CBA makes it tough to have several players making big bucks, and paying north of $28 million a year for DeRozan at this point in his career would be overpaying. On the other hand, they could trade for him as a rental and then risk losing him as he walks away for nothing. That’s not good business, money-wise.
Poor Spacing
The Miami Heat aren’t a good three-point shooting as things stand right now. Tyler Herro is their most consistent scorer from beyond the arc, and he’s often hurt. That means they should be targeting shooters and floor-spacers, not players who could clog the paint and hurt their spacing even more.
DeRozan is an elite mid-range scorer, perhaps one of the best in NBA history, but he’s never been a good three-point shooter. He doesn’t even attempt to score from outside of the paint, and that’s not going to change as he gets older.
Jimmy Butler is a very similar scorer in that regard. He’s at his best when he’s driving to the lane or creating space near the top of the key or in the post with his turnaround fadeaway shots. He’s not going to be efficient next to DeRozan and vice versa; it just doesn’t make any sense.
Age
We’ve been hearing the DeMar DeRozan to Heat rumors for years now. Years ago, perhaps they would’ve sorted something out, either deploying him or Jimmy Butler at the point and surrounding both with shooters to make up for their lack of spacing.
But DeRozan is about to turn 35 years old. We get it, the Heat have knocked on the door of an NBA championship for quite a while now, and their lack of another go-to scorer has been more than evident in both of their failed trips to the NBA Finals during the Butler era.
However, they should be looking to get younger, recouping draft capital, and bring in complementary players who fit Tyler Herro’s timeline and could carry the torch once Butler’s productivity starts taking a dip. That’s not the case with DeRozan.
The Heat have been on the losing end of many failed trades now. They’ve failed to acquire multiple stars throughout the course of the past three years or so, so they might be tempted to go all-in and pursue whoever becomes available just for the sake of it. Instead, they should be patient and pursue someone who’s an actual good fit for them.
