The Miami Heat could trade point guard Norris Cole to clear space for the 24th-overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Shabazz Napier
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The Miami Heat moved up in the 2014 NBA Draft in order to draft
‘ point guard Shabazz Napier. Napier was one of the best players in college basketball. He led the Huskies to a National Championship and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
Many believed the Heat would look to dump Norris Cole or perhaps choose not to re-sign Mario Chalmers to clear a path for Napier to play. Instead, Chalmers was re-signed and Cole may be the team’s starting point guard. That, however, may not last.
“Erik Spoelstra and the Miami HEAT are currently faced with creating minutes for the three point guards that are currently on the roster,” Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders explains. “The HEAT have Norris Cole, Mario Chalmers and rookie Shabazz Napier in line at the point guard position.”
He believes that player may be Cole.
“With those three players on the roster, the HEAT may be open to trading one of them,” Taylor writes.
“Early reports have it that Cole will be the HEAT’s starter in the season opener on Wednesday and could help his trade value if he gets off to a good start. If Napier shows by the trade deadline that he can handle the duties of running the floor then the HEAT might be forced to make a move and it could put Cole on the block.”
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Heat try to trade Cole but he isn’t exactly a hot commodity. He has shown flashes but he isn’t much of a shooter (although he has improved).
Cole averaged 6.4 points, 3.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game while shooting 41.4% from the field, 34.5% from beyond the arc and 77.9% from the free throw line last season.
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