Duncan Robinson’s time with the Miami Heat could be ending soon as he has been the subject of many trade rumors.
One of the questions about the matter is whether or not other franchises are willing to part ways with any assets to acquire the Heat sharpshooter. Another concern for all potentially involved parties is whether Robinson can return to form after a disappointing 2022-23 campaign thus far.
An anonymous Eastern Conference executive talked recently with Heavy Sports and floated a trade scenario wherein the Heat send Robinson, Nikola Jovic and Max Strus to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for John Collins.
The executive believes that Robinson has the potential to be a game changer again as long as he is provided with the right environment.
“Man, Robinson needs a change of scenery,” the executive said. “Just getting him somewhere else and letting him play, let him build up his confidence again—he can be a dangerous floor-spacer for a team like Atlanta with Trae [Young] and [Dejounte] Murray. The Heat really like the potential Jovic has but they are an old team, they need to win now and Collins fills a huge need for them. But Atlanta does not want to fall off the map and taking a risk on Robinson, that is too much of a gamble.”
It is certainly possible that the University of Michigan product would be able to maximize his skill set as an off-ball threat playing alongside Young and Murray.
It should be noted it was only two seasons ago when Robinson was seen as one of the league’s finest marksmen. In the 2020-21 campaign, he averaged 13.1 points and 3.5 3-pointers a game while shooting 40.8 percent from beyond the arc.
He was even better in the previous season, as he averaged 13.5 points and 3.7 3-pointers per contest. His efficiency behind the 3-point line was otherworldly at 44.6 percent.
However, many opponents have become wise to the Heat’s act and designed their defenses to limit Robinson’s threat. As such, the fifth-year pro has been pulled out of the starting lineup and is playing just 17.7 minutes per match this season. Many of his numbers are the lowest they have been in years.
Interestingly, the 6-foot-7 veteran has seen a small uptick in his production recently. In his last three outings, he has seen action for 24.0 minutes per game, averaging 11.3 points per contest and shooting 36.0 percent from deep (compared to his season clip of 32.0 percent).
But it remains to be seen if Robinson can sustain that production, especially if the team starts getting healthier soon.