4 contenders who need to trade for Dejounte Murray

2. Heat should trade for Dejounte Murray

Any qualms about fit tend to evaporate with the Miami Heat. Erik Spoelstra can make two and two equal five if he needs to. The Heat would benefit from another ball-handler to ease the burden on Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro. Murray fits the general 'Heat Culture' M.O. — he gets after it on defense and he's willing to move the rock — and while he's not Damian Lillard or Donovan Mitchell, he's squarely in Miami's price range.

The Heat don't actually have the assets to win a bidding war for top-level stars, which doesn't get mentioned enough. That is why the Lillard trade never materialized, not because the Blazers were feeling especially vindictive about their franchise cornerstone. The Heat do have the assets to get Atlanta on the phone for a Murray trade, though. There are still 3-point concerns here, as neither Butler nor Bam Adebayo really space the floor, but Murray gets 'em up well enough and he would increase Spoelstra's lineup optionality.

Murray and Butler can alternate playmaking duties, allowing Herro to embrace his 3-point sniper origins and improving the general decision-making apparatus. Miami is always the sharpest team on the floor. Spoelstra would tap into Murray's point guard instincts while finding ways to optimize him away from the ball, too. Few coaches can match Atlanta's Quin Snyder for offensive creativity, but it's much easier to trust Murray's buy-in with the Heat. Winning solves everything, right?

The Heat truly are winners of the highest order. Whether Murray launches them into the Boston-Milwaukee tier or not, he moves the needle. His defense in the backcourt, compared to Kyle Lowry, would mask a ton of concerns for Miami. Herro is currently the Heat's No. 1 scorer, but his optimal role is less involved. The Heat don't necessarily "need" another point guard, but Murray absorbing the Lowry minutes would be monumental.