Miami Heat rumors: 3 trade targets for sought-after final piece

No. 2: DeMar DeRozan

As previously mentioned, 30-year-old shooting guard DeMar DeRozan has been linked to the Miami Heat. The four-time All-Star is averaging 22.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on a career-high 54.1 percent field goal shooting.

DeRozan has been on a tear as of late. He took home Western Conference Player of the Week last week and is riding a 13-game streak of scoring 20 or more points on over 50 percent shooting, something only two players (both of whom are big men) have done since 1983.

Despite DeRozan’s scoring prowess, the Heat shouldn’t make a trade for him either.

DeRozan scores almost exclusively inside the arc. He has taken just 26 triples so far this season, sinking just eight of them. With the abundance of shooters Miami has, he’ll have plenty of space to operate. However, his playstyle is too similar to Jimmy Butler‘s.

Butler is also a poor outside shooter that operates primarily in between the arc and the paint. Having DeRozan, Butler, and Adebayo on the court at the same time would provide awful spacing for the offense. The Heat have several shot creators that can also shoot the 3, so trading for DeRozan doesn’t make too much sense.

DeRozan is also a poor defender. San Antonio’s opponents’ offensive rating goes from 116.1 when he’s on the court to 105.9 when he’s off.

Another problem with trading for DeRozan is that he could be a free agent after this season, with a player option worth $27 million next year. He could choose to decline his option, making him an unrestricted free agent. The Heat’s options would then be to sign him a lengthy contract or let him walk for nothing.

DeRozan, like his teammate Aldridge, should not be a trade target for the Heat.