NBA Trade Rumors: Miami Heat Agree To Trade With Orlando Magic
NBA trade rumors reveal the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic have agreed to a deal. Miami will trade Shabazz Napier to Orlando for a future draft pick. A report from CBS Sports on Sunday (July 26) states that the pick will be a protected future second-rounder. In a move that appears entirely based on dumping salary, the Heat give up a talented player for very little in return. This could actually hurt the depth that Miami has worked hard to build up during the NBA offseason.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Napier put together a good rookie season with the Heat after getting picked as the No. 24 selection in the 2014 NBA Draft. The pick was intended to please LeBron James, who the front office felt would be more likely to sign if Napier was taken in the draft. James had previously hinted that he would like to play with Napier, but he ended up leaving in free agency to re-join the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now Miami is already parting ways with Napier in order to save money.
These NBA trade rumors could be a bit shocking to Miami Heat fans, as Shabazz Napier still has the potential be a star in the league. Now he will have to try to do it with the Orlando Magic, a team that seems very willing to take him on for the 2015-16 NBA season and beyond. During his rookie season with the Heat, Napier averaged 19.8 minutes per game. He put up 5.1 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game, shooting 36.4 percent from three-point range. That’s where he might be a great weapon for the Magic next season.
Despite the Miami Heat dumping his salary, it’s not like Shabazz Napier makes a ton of money either. He is set to make just under $1.3 million in the 2015-16 NBA season and then has team options of $1.35 million and $2.36 million in the two following seasons. That’s a very affordable contract if he can put up good minutes with the second unit of the Orlando Magic. After averaging 18 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game in his final season at UConn, there is every expectation that he could have a long NBA career.
It will be interesting to see how Orlando decides to use Napier, and if at some point he could be playing heavy minutes for the team. These NBA trade rumors certainly increase his value in the fantasy basketball world, because he should see an increase in playing time if he can prove himself during preseason games.
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