Outside Of KZ, Should They Stand Pat From Here?

For all the money, the Miami Heat are the best team in the east right now. Miami has had great chemistry this season and it must be asked.

Why ruin a good thing? There is definitely a flip side to that coin though, always looking to improve the roster.

To be frank, no one has actually seen Miami play at full strength this season, despite being a top-two seed, consistently, the past couple of weeks.

But we all know who Pat Riley is and if he finds a deal to make the Miami Heat better, even in the slightest way, Riley would make that deal in a heartbeat. What could be in Miami’s plans at the NBA Trade Deadline, other than the move they made already in shipping out KZ Okpala?

Miami, again and as of right now, is the number one seed in the East. Obviously, Miami being the top seed shouldn’t mean that they should stop looking at ways to improve the roster though.

However, they have been injured throughout the season and that’s on top of COVID, sadly, still being a thing in our world. It’s not just Miami though, as all teams this year have had challenging times to endure.

The Miami Heat have made one move so far but didn’t take a player back. After trading KZ Okpala, should they stand pat from here out?

What makes Miami a little bit different though is that though they have missed Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, and Kyle Lowry, their best three guys, for an extended time this season, they have continued to find ways to win games.

Should they trade some depth to get an upgrade? That’s the important question.

Another is this though. With all that has been mentioned and their success doing it, is this the year to keep the depth?

You have to think that it is.

With Victor Oladipo’s return looming, Miami wouldn’t need to add another guard. Miami has depth at center with Omer Yurtseven being a huge find as well.

If anything, Miami would need a P.J. Tucker backup, especially to finish the regular season, so Tucker still has legs in the playoffs. Miami has also been rumored to have an interest in P.J. Washington of the Charlotte Hornets.

Washington, who is only twenty-three years old, still has a bright future. It’s also worth noting that they liked him in the draft as well.

If they could get Washington but had to give up Yurtseven, then you still probably make that deal. For Nicolas Batum or Rui Hachimura, who have also been linked to Miami, you don’t put Yurtseveven in the deal though.

Well, perhaps you can be sold on Hachimura—perhaps. The Big Yurt has been a really nice find for Miami but could be used in a trade for more of a “win now” type of piece, such as Washington.

Though the thought is that they probably stand pat (pun intended) at the deadline, for the right price, you can definitely see Miami making a move to solidify things, ensuring that they are where they want to be. Pat Riley may just pull a Pat Riley though.

So, keep your eyes on the ticker!