Heat: 1 trade and 1 free agent signing for Miami to win the offseason
1 trade the Miami Heat can make to win the offseason: Acquire Detroit Pistons Forward Jerami Grant
It’s fair to say that the Heat sorely missed Jae Crowder during the 2021-2022 season. His versatility on defense combined with his timely offensive scoring was vital to Miami’s success in 2020.
After Crowder signed with the Phoenix Suns, Andre Iguodala and Trevor Ariza were filling in at the power forward spot. Unfortunately, both players are up there in age and don’t bring the offensive firepower the Heat need to be successful.
Pat Riley should call up the Detroit Pistons and see if they are willing to trade Jerami Grant.
Grant signed a three-year, $60 million deal with Detroit last offseason and is a rising star in the association. He had the best season of his career in 2020, averaging 22.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. The lack of talent around him caused the Pistons to place last in the Eastern Conference.
During the regular season, the Heat were interested in acquiring Grant, but the Pistons said he was unavailable. Given their circumstances, Detroit might reconsider that thought and test the market for him. Miami will definitely be interested, as the former second-round pick fills a lot of their needs.
Grant’s length and athleticism fit well with the Heat’s talented roster. He a slasher, which can play well with Adebayo’s playmaking and fast-break opportunities. He’s a decent three-point shooter, hitting 35 percent of those shots last year. His defense is improving, and he was a part of a Pistons team that was rather impressive defensively in 2020.
Another thing that makes the former Syracuse forward an interesting target for Miami is his versatility. He can play shooting guard, small forward, power forward, even center if the Heat go small-ball. As a younger and longer player, Grant could become Jae Crowder 2.0.
So how could the Heat acquire Detroit’s rising star? His $20 million annual salary could be a hurdle, but the Heat could ship out Iguodala, who has a $15 million team option. Draft picks could be used as Miami has four first-round picks over the next five years.
Jerami Grant seems like a perfect fit for the Heat, culturally and schematically. It will be up to Riley and Spoelstra to work things out financially to bring him to South Beach. His presence in Miami could be the thing that propels the team back into contention.