The Miami Heat may be struggling so far this season, but they still seem to think highly of their young guns, including swingman Duncan Robinson.
He will be a free agent this offseason, and it appears that the Heat would be willing to pay him top dollar in order to keep him in South Florida.
“Because he is elite at a skill that’s an enormous commodity (shooting) and has all the intangibles that the Heat values in players, the sense is Miami would be willing to pay the going rate for elite shooters when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer,” wrote Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “His Heat cap hit will be only $4.7 million in 2021-22 regardless of his salary.”
According to reports, he may command as much as $15 million to $20 million per year from other teams once the season ends.
Robinson, an undrafted player, emerged seemingly out of nowhere last season as one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA. He was an integral part of Miami’s Cinderella run to the NBA Finals.
This season, he’s continued his excellent marksmanship, as he’s hitting 41.9 percent of his 3-point attempts on the season.
Even if the Heat hold onto Robinson, it won’t necessarily mean he’ll remain with the team long term.
It’s no secret that the Heat have coveted Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal and would love to swing a trade for him. If the Wizards were to move Beal, perhaps it would cost Miami Robinson, among a few other valuable young players.
However, the Heat may not be willing to part with Robinson to make a potential Beal trade happen.