San Antonio Spurs: 3 outside-the-box trades for DeMar DeRozan
By Ethan Becker
San Antonio Spurs trade partner No. 3: Miami Heat
If the Miami Heat proved anything last season, it was that they are one potential piece away from a championship victory. Having another scoring threat, and another player that’s a danger with the ball in his hands, like DeRozan might just be what they need to push them over the edge.
For the Spurs, the really kicker here is getting Derrick Jones Jr., a young player skilled at getting to the rim, with a nice scoring percentage to boot.
Unfortunately, San Antonio wouldn’t be able to pull any draft picks out of this trade, and they’d be limiting themselves even more in free agency, but it may be worth it for the rotational talent in this package.
With the addition of Kelly Olynyk, the Spurs get a nice big to come off the bench with a better defensive output than Trey Lyles. As for Andre Iguodala, well, he’s more just there to make the salaries fit.
As far as the Miami Heat are concerned, adding DeRozan alongside Butler gives Miami that extra shooter they’ve been looking for. Unfortunately, the combination of Jimmy Butler and DeRozan does still leave Miami without an elite level 3-point shooter. This is where Marco Belinelli comes in. An experienced player with a good 3-point shot, Belinelli could help advance some of the Heat’s young shooters talent.
Of course, this package would require sign-and-trades for both Belinelli and Jones Jr., but if both teams are interested, that’s a small road block, not an obstacle.