Due to minimal salary cap space and lacking draft assets, the Miami Heat face significant limitations in free agency this summer. Without conducting a trade, their only viable option to restructure the roster involves parting ways with key players such as Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Jamie Jaquez Jr., and Nikola Jovic.
The latest speculation in the dwindling pool of free agents involves Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan, with reports suggesting mutual interest between him and the Miami Heat.
CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn pointed out, “The Heat have popped up as a potentially interested party, but it’s worth noting that they are already around $7 million above the first apron.”
However, does this move make sense for the Heat? Would trading Tyler Herro or Terry Rozier make them a better team? And can an aging duo of DeRozan (35) and Jimmy Butler (34) realistically compete for a championship?
Sam Quinn from CBS Sports provides further analysis, explaining that acquiring a signed-and-traded player like DeMar DeRozan would hard cap the Miami Heat at the first apron. This constraint would not only require the Heat to trade out enough salary to match what they planned to pay DeRozan but also add an additional $7 million or more to stay under the hard cap. This financial burden, along with the need to fill out the rest of the roster, complicates any potential deal.
Quinn suggests that to make this feasible, Miami would likely have to give up either Tyler Herro or Terry Rozier. However, he points out that Herro is significantly younger than DeRozan, Rozier was recently acquired for a first-round pick, and the Heat already rank 18th in the NBA in 3-point attempts per game. Substituting a willing shooter for DeRozan could therefore be seen as less than ideal.
Despite criticism directed at Heat president Pat Riley, Quinn notes that Miami might be better off sticking with their current roster and seeing how they perform when healthy. If improvements don’t materialize, they could consider breaking up the core next summer, particularly when Jimmy Butler becomes a free agent.
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