Should the Miami Heat Trade for DeMar DeRozan?
As the Miami Heat's offseason planning comes underway, there are many names that are being tossed out as potential additions to help bolster the roster. I’ve already detailed my thoughts on a Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant addition to the team, but now I want to shift towards a more realistic and humble potential signing that could ease some of the big additions that fans are clamoring for. A player that the Heat have been linked to in past offseasons, but never quite were able to obtain. That player is, of course, none other than DeMar DeRozan, and the question is whether the 35-year-old former all-star would be a good fit for the Miami Heat.
DeRozan has been on the Heat’s radar since at least last offseason, when it looked like Miami was a top contender to land him during free agency. This ultimately, of course, didn’t happen, and he signed with the Sacramento Kings in a season where he might not have been as explosive as before, but kept a solid 22.2 points per game average, and shot the ball with confidence. DeRozan was often trusted to close out tight games, specifically when he hit the dagger shot at the end of double overtime to beat the Heat in Sacramento this past season. The offensive production will exist with a DeRozan addition, especially at the mid-range level, which only really has Tyler Herro contributing for the Heat in that regard. The Heat are also a team that really could use a veteran closer who has the experience to make the high-pressure shots at the end of the game. DeRozan seems to be well-respected by his teammates and would likely be a good presence for the young guys to look up to.
It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the DeMar DeRozan and Miami Heat pairing, and I’d argue it’s far from it. DeRozan is turning 36 before the start of next season, which is around the age where guys tend to start slowing down. DeRozan already plays mediocre to sometimes bad defense, and the aging process wouldn’t help that part of his game one bit. DeMar is currently signed to the Kings, meaning that the Kings would need to receive players in return, and Miami would need to take on his contract for two seasons. I’m not fully sure that Miami would be willing to give up much for DeRozan, given his age and diminishing star power. Another sad truth about DeMar DeRozan is that no team has gone on a run because of him in many years. The Spurs went nowhere with him, so they dumped him off to the Bulls in where the Bulls tried pairing him with Zach LaVine. DeRozan then went to the Kings, where they tried forming a team that looked very similar to the Bulls team he was just on, and that ended up failing.
It can be said that it’s not all DeRozan’s fault that these experiments didn’t pan out, but it also needs to be said that he didn’t help them as much as some other stars would. If DeRozan won’t make the Heat a contender, why even take on his contract, and potentially sell off younger talent? The Heat’s ceiling with DeRozan is a potential Play-In Tournament or early exit playoff team, and that’s just not what the Heat should bank on. The team should either be all in and invest in a Kevin Durant-type star or sell away players and focus on rebuilding through the draft. The Heat are, of course, very prideful and don’t believe in any form of tanking, so they’re banking on the first option working out. The bad news for the Heat is that the first option hasn’t worked out in a while and isn’t expected to work out anytime soon. DeMar DeRozan fits neither of these options, so therefore I don’t believe his addition to the team would be necessary even if the Heat get a couple more wins next season because of him.
