Miami Heat: Why a trade for CJ McCollum would be too expensive

Who could the Miami Heat pivot to in the offseason?

A perfect candidate for this would be Patrick Beverley. Beverley has made 39.9 percent of his catch and shoots on 3.5 attempts per game. Catch and shoots have been responsible for 79.5 percent of his shots as he has shot 38.2 percent from behind the arc on 4.4 attempts per game. More importantly, Beverley will cost significantly less for the Heat as he is scheduled to earn $14.3 million next year.

Furthermore, the Clippers have benched him for the past two games vs. Dallas in favor of Reggie Jackson. The Clippers’ decision to bench him will lower his value on the trade market. As a result, it increases the likelihood that the Heat could acquire him by trading Andre Iguodala and a future draft pick.

Although CJ McCollum doesn’t make sense for the Heat, he does for another team: the New York Knicks. The New York Knicks are currently looking for a guard who fits two criteria. They need a primary ball-handler who can thrive in the pick and roll.

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The New York Knicks were fourth in the league in pick and roll possessions last year, averaging 24 per game. Unfortunately, they have had difficulty being efficient out of the pick and roll, as they shot 42.3 percent from the field on 19.5 attempts per game, the 12th worst field goal percentage.

Their pick and roll efficiency issues were related to Immanuel Quickley and Alec Burks. They accounted for 38.3 percent of the team’s possessions combining to average 9.2 per game. They shot 39.45 percent on 3.75 attempts per game, creating 8.9 points.

The inefficiency out of the pick and roll ball handler propelled them to inquire about Lonzo Ball before the trade deadline as they were looking for a better player who could run their offense.

Therefore, McCollum makes more sense for them because of his pick-and-roll success. Not only does McCollum make sense for them as a ball-handler, but he would also help their shooting, as the team was 27th in the league during the regular season in three-point attempts, taking 30 per game.

In conclusion, it would be ill-advised for the Miami Heat to acquire CJ McCollum when he makes $30.8 million next year to use him as a floor spacer.