2. Will Bynum (Washington Wizards)
The undrafted 6’0″ 185-pound point guard out of Georgia Tech has proven to be a resilient commodity in professional basketball, both here and abroad.
Bynum has bounced around the NBA and international leagues throughout his seven-year career, most recently signing with the Washington Wizards in March just weeks after his season with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association ended.
Bynum’s best years were in Detroit between 2008 and 2014, where in a backup role to Rodney Stuckey and Brandon Knight, he could be counted on for about 8.0 points and 3.5 assists a night. These may not be eye-popping stats, but Bynum has proven himself to be a reliable understudy for some of the leagues premier point men, including John Wall, who spoke highly of him shortly before he joined the Wiz.
In short relief, he could provide a steady hand to guide the Heat while Dragic rests. He won’t do anything spectacular (although he did have a 20 assist game back in 2010); but he will do just enough to keep the wheels from coming off the wagon, an underestimated skill for backup point guards in the Association.
In short, Bynum is a competent and serviceable reserve who the Heat could probably sign for short years and short money, perhaps somewhere around 2 years/$5-6 million. He is a stealthy value at the point guard position.
Note: Adding either of these PGs (or any point guard) would obviously create a logjam at the position with Mario Chalmers already on the roster and on the books until next summer, so the Heat would need to find a taker for ‘Rio in a trade to create room.
If Chalmers, who split time with Norris Cole the last two seasons, is satisfied being Dragic’s backup, he might actually make this conversation redundant, which could allow the Heat to focus on other areas of need.
Other Possibilities:
Andre Miller (Sacramento Kings) – Miller’s effective “old-man game” and veteran leadership would give Heat opponents a different look from the more athletic and dynamic Dragic.
Steve Blake (Portland Trail Blazers) – Blake is a savvy veteran who can take the wheel from Dragic for 12-15 minutes a game and drain a few three’s while he in there.
Beno Udrih (Memphis Grizzlies) – solid career backup point guard.
Next: Gerald Green (Phoenix Suns)
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