3-team trade would land John Collins on Miami Heat
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 22: John Collins #20 of the Atlanta Hawks celebrates a three pointer against the Miami Heat during the second quarter in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round at State Farm Arena on April 22, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
***The full trade is listed on the third slide***
The Miami Heat were one of the best teams in the league last year, making a run to the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Boston Celtics in seven games.
Fast forward to the offseason, and things haven’t changed much for Miami. They’ve re-signed some key players like Victor Oladipo, Dewayne Dedmon, and Caleb Martin, all of whom will play key roles for them next year.
NBA Trades: 3-team trade would land John Collins on Miami Heat
However, the Heat did suffer a crucial loss to their starting lineup. PJ Tucker decided to leave Miami in favor of joining the Philadelphia 76ers on a three-year deal worth roughly $30 million.
Tucker played a huge role for the Heat this past season on both ends of the floor, and losing him was a big-time blow. The Heat will now have to scramble to replace him in the starting lineup.
As of now, they don’t really have anybody that is ready to step up and start at the power forward position. They could run Jimmy Butler there, but he’s become comfortable at the small forward.
Miami could run Omer Yurtseven or Dedmon alongside Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt, but that would hurt their versatility on both offense and defense.
Realistically speaking, their answer to the power forward position probably won’t be found internally. They’re going to have to seek outside help to play at that spot.
Unfortunately, since the free-agency pool has dwindled, the Heat will likely be forced to attack the trade market if they want to snag a real replacement for Tucker.
