NBA Free Agency: 5 top targets for Miami Heat
By Tom West
3. Sign Jared Dudley
Jared Dudley delivered as one of the NBA’s most efficient three-point threats last season and has become one of the top underrated free agents on the market. He’s always vocal about his opinions for change and new contracts on Twitter, and after a great season for the Wizards, he’s placed himself in a position to earn a nice salary.
Averages of 7.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.9 steals in 25.9 minutes per game may not sound like much. Dudley isn’t a prolific scorer and he certainly doesn’t qualify as a plan B for missing out on Durant. However, after the Heat ranked 28th in the NBA in made threes per game (6.1) and only 27th in three-point percentage, perimeter shooting is a major area of weakness.
An offense simply can’t compete against the league’s best without consistent outside threats. No matter what random three-point bursts Wade put together in the playoffs, the Heat need to address the issue and that’s clearly still the case after bringing back Whiteside at center rather than resorting to the pursuit of a more versatile threat like Al Horford.
Dudley shot 42 percent from three in 2015-16 and made 1.7 shots from deep per 36 minutes, attempting 48.9 percent of his shots from beyond the arc as a catch-and-shoot specialist. That’s purely what the Heat need from him, and thanks to his defense and ability to play so well as an undersized power forward, he offers some valuable versatility, too.
The Wizards want Dudley back and numerous other teams are interested, though, so signing him won’t be easy.
Next: A versatile combo forward