Miami Heat: 3 crucial areas to address at the trade deadline

Improving the perimeter shooting

Perimeter shooting was the oil that fueled their offensive engine last season. This season is a different story; the Heat rank 25th in 3-point percentage. They should look to bring in outside help to reignite the spark they showed time and time again from 3-point land, with a focus on bigs and wings.

One stretch big Miami could pursue is LaMarcus Aldridge. The upside with pursuing Aldridge, who shoots 36.0 percent on 3.6 attempts from deep and has long been dangerous from midrange, is that Miami might not even need to trade for him. The Spurs are likely to buy him out since his contract is difficult to move and the team has made it clear they don’t want him anymore.

The Houston Rockets’ P.J. Tucker is another common name being thrown around due to his physicality and his shooting abilities. This is a name the Heat should not look into. His reputation overshadows the lackluster season he’s having, as his 3-point percentage has dipped to 31.4 percent.

As for wings, one player the Heat should look into acquiring is old friend Wayne Ellington, who spent three seasons with the Heat. His catch-and-shoot abilities are as pure as they come. He’s knocking down 42.2 percent of his 3-pointers on 6.4 attempts per game. In a reserve role playing off of the attention Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro draw, he should thrive.

Miami could look just a few hundred miles north at the Orlando Magic’s Evan Fournier or Terrence Ross. Both players average at least two triples per game and can shoot both off the catch or the dribble. Fournier shoots 37.1 percent from deep while Ross shoots 36.0 percent. With the playmakers Miami has, both players have the chance to improve their efficiency.