Heat predicted to sign $305M future Hall of Famer to make life easy for Giannis Antetokounmpo originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Miami Heat made one of the biggest moves of the offseason by trading for former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Still, Miami is looking to add more talent to the roster and become an even bigger threat to contend for a championship.
The Heat are looking forward to the upcoming season, but they would like to add more reinforcements. Miami has been linked to three major names throughout the summer.
“Because of the Heat working this season under a hard cap created by the machinations required for the Antetokounmpo acquisition, a deliberate approach is required for the final two standard roster spots. Among those reportedly being considered by the Heat for those two roster spots are Bradley Beal, DeMar DeRozan and Klay Thompson, should he become available from the Dallas Mavericks by trade or with a buyout," Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman wrote.
The Los Angeles Clippers re-signed Bradley Beal to a new deal on Thursday, taking him out of the equation for Miami. The Heat also do not appear interested in giving up significant assets to acquire Klay Thompson.
“The Mavericks do not hold interest in buying Thompson out and want to utilize his expiring contract to add something of value, whether it be second-round draft assets or something else. Even though the Heat could get creative with a trade offer revolving around 23-year-old forward Nikola Jovic, this doesn't appear to be a scenario Miami wants to see play out,” ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel wrote.
However, the Heat can still pursue DeMar DeRozan to give Antetokounmpo another proven offensive weapon.
“The Miami Heat are reportedly interested in signing free agent wing DeMar DeRozan. Their interest has inevitably been met with backlash, as critics are questioning why a team with a non-shooting go-to player and a lack of three-point specialists would go after yet another player who isn't exactly known to space the floor. For as valid as that concern may be, adding DeRozan's scoring proficiency would simplify the game for Antetokounmpo in a way that outweighs the value of spacing the floor with a non-creator,” AUCH’s Maxwell Ogden wrote.
Miami looks excellent on the defensive end, and there is no denying that. However, without another facilitator or reliable scorer, the offense could become too congested around Antetokounmpo. That is why adding DeRozan could be so important for the Heat.
DeRozan has earned $305 million throughout his career and would give Miami another player capable of creating his own shot and taking pressure off Antetokounmpo. His scoring ability could provide the separation the Heat need to free up their superstar and make the offense much more difficult to defend. The six-time All-Star would be a game-changer for Miami.
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