Miami Heat: 3 potential trades with contending teams
By Simon Smith
3. San Antonio Spurs
The famed culture of the San Antonio Spurs has been put through the ringer in an uncommonly public fashion this summer with the blockbuster trade of Kawhi Leonard. Following a tumultuous season in which he appeared in just nine games, Leonard and the Spurs were never able to reconcile their differences as it pertained to the treatment of his well publicized quadriceps injury.
Despite the absence of Leonard, the Spurs still managed to compile 47 wins on their way to a first round playoff exit. Now with the addition of All-Star DeMar DeRozan via the Leonard trade, the re-signing of their own free agents in Rudy Gay, Davis Bertans and Bryn Forbes, and the addition of Marco Belinelli via free agency, the Spurs certainly have the hallmarks of fielding a more than competitive team.
However, the point guard slot remains a spot of contention. While he progressed tremendously over the course of last season, earning All-Defensive Second Team honors in the process, Dejounte Murray is still just 21 years of age and extremely raw. While his defensive and rebounding output is elite, his perimeter shooting remains a work in progress.
In Goran Dragic, the Spurs are receiving a veteran point guard fresh off making his first All-Star appearance. Following the loss of Leonard, and to a lesser degree point guard Tony Parker, the additions of DeRozan and Dragic would represent a tremendous offseason turnaround for the Spurs.
For the Heat, while the acquisition of Pau Gasol crowds the current frontcourt rotation, it does achieve a few things. Firstly, it frees up a crowded backcourt rotation. While Dragic is the only pure point guard on the roster, his averaged just 4.8 assists per game last season. In the event of any other additions, the Heat would hand the primary ball-handling duties over to Dion Waiters and Tyler Johnson. While he was significantly impaired last season with his season-ending ankle injury, Waiters nonetheless ranked eighth in the league with 14.7 drives per game, just ahead of Dragic.
Furthermore, the vast experience Gasol provides would be an invaluable addition to the Heat locker room. With the future of Dwyane Wade still up in the air, the presence Gasol would provide in general, and the expertise he could pass onto the likes of Hassan Whiteside and Bam Adebayo, would be simply invaluable.
Most of all, the deal delivers the Heat a valuable first round selection, a key piece that can be utilized in possible future deals.
Overall this deal, which works out financially on the ESPN Trade Machine, has a number of benefits for each team involved.