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NBA Free Agency: Grading all 30 teams on signings and trades

By Josh Cornelissen

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 29: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors waves to his family during a game against the Sacramento Kings at Amalie Arena on January 29, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 29: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors waves to his family during a game against the Sacramento Kings at Amalie Arena on January 29, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. /
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NBA Free Agency
NBA free agency Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images /

2021 NBA Free Agency Grades: Miami Heat

Key Additions: Kyle Lowry (3-yr, $90 million); PJ Tucker (2-yr, $15 million); Markieff Morris (1-yr, likely minimum)

Brought Back: Jimmy Butler (4-yr, $184 million extension); Duncan Robinson (5-yr, $90 million); Victor Oladipo (1-yr, minimum); Gabe Vincent (2-yr, $3.5 million); Max Strus (2-yr, $3.5 million); Dewayne Dedmon (1-yr, undisclosed); Omer Yurtseven (2-yr, $3.5 million)

Key Departures: Andre Iguodala (Golden State); Trevor Ariza (Los Angeles Lakers); Goran Dragic (trade to Toronto); Precious Achiuwa (trade to Toronto); Kendrick Nunn (Los Angeles Lakers); Nemanja Bjelica (Golden State)

The Miami Heat are never complacent. They somehow signed Jimmy Butler in a summer where they didn’t have meaningful cap space by convincing the Philadelphia 76ers to play ball. They flipped onetime golden prospect Justice Winslow for an incredible amount of salary relief and three players who all helped them reach the NBA Finals. When it was clear their current roster didn’t quite have enough last season, they entered this offseason and made something happen.

The cap space they had earmarked for Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer was turned around and used to acquire Kyle Lowry, even if they ultimately stayed over the cap to make a sign-and-trade happen. Lowry is a bulldog defensively, a calm leader under pressure and a knockdown shooter, all things the Heat cherish and help teams win titles.

Another player who helps with winning is PJ Tucker, and the Heat swooped in and stole him away from the Milwaukee Bucks. With Tucker and Lowry added to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, the Heat have the potential for a defensive lineup on par with what the Bucks just used to win the title.

To make the offense work no matter the lineup, elite sniper Duncan Robinson was brought back on a market-rate contract that seems insane for an undrafted player just finishing his third season in the league. No player even approaches Robinson in terms of made 3-pointers at this point in a career, and he trails just the Curry brothers and Joe Harris among active players in 3-point percentage.

The Heat, with limited money to spend after the big deals, added Markieff Morris and Dewayne Dedmon on minimum deals to eat up minutes. Miami isn’t just playing for this season, however, as their elite developmental system (the same system that produced Robinson, for example) saw three of its players get guaranteed deals. Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Omer Yurtseven all signed identical two-year, $3.5 million deals.

Finally, the Heat agreed to an extension with Jimmy Butler to pay him $184 million for the four seasons after next year. Butler is a great player whose work ethic will never age, but that’s an extremely large sum of money for a player whose game itself will age quickly.

Grade: B+

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