The Miami Heat have seen some of the most success in the NBA over the last few seasons, even if it hasn't translated into them winning the title. Miami has gone to two NBA Finals since 2020 and has reached the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the past five seasons. However, after an early playoff exit this year, Miami has spent this offseason looking for ways to upgrade the team.
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The Heat still have a core of forward Jimmy Butler and center Bam Adebayo leading the charge but the role players around them have changed a little. Miami understands that if they want to win a title with this group, they seem to be only one piece away. However, the team has yet to make any significant upgrades to the roster but it hasn't been for the lack of trying.
According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, Miami was very interested in acquiring star forward DeMar DeRozan or signing veteran guard Tyus Jones. However, the contract of one of their roles players halted the attempt since nobody wanted to the on the salary he is owed.
"Heat fans want more. They want more, they see what Boston did last year, they see what New York has done, they saw with certainly Philadelphia as far as loading up here. But as Zach said, what else can you do? They are limited on their draft picks they can send out. They would have loved to get DeMar DeRozan. They tried as heck to get DeMar DeRozan, nobody wanted Duncan Robinson, no offense. They have one first-round pick to trade. They wanted Tyus Jones, they couldn't make a deal here."
— Oh Yes He Did (@OhYesHeDid24) July 11, 2024
Robinson is scheduled to earn $19.4 million this coming season and $19.8 million next year. He has declined over the last few years and his value has tanked around the NBA. To his credit, Robinson did increase his scoring average and 3-point shooting percentage this past season. However, with the new CBA taking effect this year, teams are being more cautious with how they spend money across the roster to avoid taking any unnecessary penalties from the league.
While paying a sharpshooter $19 million isn't the worst deal around the NBA, Robinson hasn't shown the ability to be consistent on the floor. He is also a detriment on the defensive end, something that teams have also been hesitant to pay for in recent times, no matter how good offensively a player is.
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About the writer
Matt Levine works as a contributing writer for Newsweek, covering multiple sports. He graduated in 2021 with a Master of ... Read more
