Following the Miami Heat‘s 105-87 loss to the Utah Jazz, the Heat have dropped to a record of 12-14.
Despite Dwyane Wade’s 42 points, including 21 free throw attempts, Miami was unable to defeat the second-worst team in the Western Conference. Chris Bosh is out for the near future due to a calf strain, while Josh McRoberts is likely out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury that requires surgery,
The Heat have had their projected starting lineup on the court for a total of 34 minutes together. That lineup was supposed to be Bosh, McRoberts, Luol Deng, Wade and Norris Cole.
All five of the aforementioned players have missed periods of time due to injury. Bosh has missed the last three games, McRoberts has been out nine out of a possible 26 contests, Deng was inactive for two matchups, Wade was absent for seven games and Cole was hurt for four matchups.
This has resulted in the Heat using 11 different starting lineups through just 26 games.
The team is currently seeking a $2.65 million player exception due to the injury of McRoberts. If Miami is granted this player exception by the NBA, the Heat would receive half of McRoberts’ annual salary to be used toward a player in the final year of his contract, or in a one-year deal with a free agent.
While a player exception would give the franchise a little bit of cap flexibility, the Heat might want to look for help regardless of whether or not they’re granted the exception.
In the loss to the Jazz, Chris Andersen started a game for the first time in his Heat career. It’s clear Erik Spoelstra is desperate to find a spark for a team that is struggling due to injuries and terrible team defense.
Pat Riley will likely be looking toward the trading block to find pieces that can provide a boost to a team that might slip out of the playoff race as the season progresses. Here are five players the Heat could look to target before the trade deadline:
1. Lance Stephenson
Lance Stephenson was a highly regarded free agent commodity. He ended up signing what was essentially a two-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets for $18 million total.
However, the Hornets have been one of the worst teams in the NBA after last season in which they made it to the playoffs. Charlotte is currently sitting at 6-19 and recently lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a game that saw the Hornets fall in a 21-0 hole to start the game.
Because it’s unlikely Charlotte will make it to the postseason in back-to-back years and because Stephenson has been a huge disappointment through the first 25 games with his new club, the 24-year-old shooting guard is widely regarded to be on the trading block.
Stephenson is averaging just 10.3 points, seven rebounds and 4.9 assists per game on just 39 percent from the field. The Hornets rank 21st or worse in offensive and defensive points per game, along with rebounds and assists per contest. To put matters bluntly, Stephenson isn’t helping those matters.
The problem for the Heat comes down to this—Stephenson is not in the last year of his contract. Therefore, Miami cannot use its possible player exception on Stephenson because he has two years left on his deal.
However, the University of Cincinnati product has proven in the past with the Indiana Pacers (against the Heat no less) that he can be an absolute pest of a defender.
Acquiring Stephenson all comes down to a matter of whether or not the Heat want to pay such an acquisition cost of $9 million a year while giving up young assets.
(Continue on next page!)
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Responsive-Ad”]
2. Timofey Mozgov
Timofey Mozgov, much like many Denver Nuggets players, is considered to be on the trading block.
The Nuggets are currently 10-13 and will have a hard time making the playoffs in a tough Western Conference. The Heat need big men more than anything due to the reoccurring injuries to Andersen, Bosh, McRoberts, Justin Hamilton, Udonis Haslem and Danny Granger.
Mozgov has one year left on his contract, with another season being tabbed onto the contract as a club option year. His salary is currently $4.65 million, and he could be used as a short-term rental by Riley and the franchise for the rest of the 2014-15 season.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Responsive-Ad”]
3. Brendan Haywood
Brendan Haywood is a 35-year-old center currently playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Haywood has two years left on his contract; however, his last year is a non-guaranteed year. If the Heat were to acquire Haywood and release him before August 1st of 2015, they would have no dead money on their hands. This essentially means that Haywood can be acquired on what is essentially a one-year deal.
The 7-footer has played in just five games this season and is being used to fill a roster spot at this point. Haywood does not fit into the Cavs’ future plans and they would love to get rid of him.
The 12-year NBA veteran has never been a true offensive option but he possesses size, experience and an expiring contract. He is owed just $2.2 million this season.
If used correctly, Haywood could be used as a defensive presence in certain situations. The Heat have done this in recent years with players with limited skills such as Greg Oden, Joel Anthony and Jamaal Magloire.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Responsive-Ad”]
4. Randy Foye
While the Heat are mostly in the market for a big man, the shooting guard position remains an area where the Heat could use an upgrade.
Wade remains entrenched as the starting shooting guard, while Mario Chalmers is having a career season as the backup. However, Randy Foye is a true shooting guard with idealistic size for a player at the two position (6’4″, 213 lbs) and is a threat from beyond the arc—he has shot 38 percent from three-point range for his career.
Foye, like Mozgov, plays on a Nuggets team that is going nowhere. He is averaging 8.4 points in 19 minutes per contest. The 31-year-old has one year left on his contract with a club option for 2016.
Considering the Heat’s best options from long range are Shawne Williams and Bosh, the Heat could use another player on the wing who is a threat from three-point range.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Responsive-Ad”]
5. Greg Monroe
Idealistically speaking, Greg Monroe is the player that makes the most sense for Miami to acquire.
Bosh is injured and McRoberts is likely out for the season. That means two projected big men are sidelined for the Heat, which forces Miami to start Andersen and Williams at center and power forward.
No offense to those players, but the Heat aren’t going to win many games if those two are playing the majority of minutes together at the big positions.
Monroe is a talented young center playing for a hapless Detroit Pistons squad. At just 24 years of age, he has averaged at least 15 points per game over the past three seasons. He is a career 51 percent shooter from the field and represents a true mold of what a team wants out of a center.
While Bosh is a talented offensive force, he relies heavily upon mid-range and long-range jump shots to score his points. That is not the case with Monroe, who does virtually all of his damage from within the paint. 92 percent of his shot attempts come from within eight feet, in comparison to Bosh’s 26 percent rate of shot attempts from within that range.
Bosh also relies more upon ball movement than Monroe, who has shown an ability to create points for himself. 58 percent of Bosh’s field goals have come off of assists, while just 45 percent of Monroe’s baskets have come off of dimes.
Making matters even more enticing for the Heat is the fact that the 24-year-old center is in the final year of his contract and could even play his way into the franchise’s future plans after this season. In this scenario, the Heat could use the $2.65 million player exception from the McRoberts injury to acquire Monroe.
It could mean the difference between a first-round exit and a deep playoff run for a team that has made it to the past four NBA Finals.
Read: 5 Big Men the Miami Heat Could Trade for This Season
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Responsive-Ad”]