The Miami Heat have done great things during the Jimmy Butler era. Hoverer, with great success, often comes a reason for a decline. And one of those reasons has been their inability to find a suitable PG to help Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Last season, it was Gabe Vincent leading the charge. While not the conventional PG, Vincent did what he could. Off the bench, the heat turned to veteran, Kyle Lowry. 7 years ago, Lowry would be up there in assists while leading this core, but at the age of 37, he just doesn’t have enough thread on his tires to make the plays he once did while with the Toronto Raptors.
According to rumors, the Miami Heat could be in the market for a PG. One of the players being mentioned is Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls. With the Bulls not living up to expectations, they may be in sell mode by the NBA trade deadline which will bode well for the Heat.
Adding Caruso to this core will give them the stability they need at that lead position. This will surely take some pressure off of Jimmy Butler and give Lowry rest for when he’s needed down the stretch. On the year, Caruso is averaging 9.8 points and 2.3 assists while in a reserve role. What’s also a plus for the Heat is that he’s not high-priced. Coming in at just $9.6M for the year.
Will The Miami Heat Make A Trade
While his numbers don’t jump out at you, that’s not exactly what the Heat needs. They have reliable scorers in Butler, Bam, Duncan Robinson, and Tyler Herro. What they need is a player who can get them the ball and be that player at the point of attack on the defensive end. Those are traits that Caruso brings to the table.
Now, are the Bulls willing to let him go is the question? They might see him as a building block if they decided to let go of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. If so, what does the Heat have that can force the Bulls to pull the trigger on this trade?
This is what Wes Goldberg of Fansided had to say regarding a possible deal between the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls.
Caruso meets Miami’s needs for an elite point-of-attack defender and capable 3-point shooter (career 38% 3-point shooter) who doesn’t need the ball to make an impact. At 29, he’s a better defender and more consistent shooter at this stage than the 37-year-old Lowry and could be a long-term answer at the position.
He’s on point with his assessment and he believes that a deal involving Caleb Martin and Nikola Jovic could be enough to get the job done.