After failing to acquire Jimmy Butler from the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Miami Heat will continue to “explore potential trades” and expected to engage in a trade negotiation with the Washington Wizards, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald . Based on their performance earlier in the 2018-19 NBA season, the Heat obviously needs more star power in order to make a huge impact in the LeBron James-less Eastern Conference.
According to Simon Smith of Hoops Habit , the Heat could take advantage of the ongoing drama in Washington to add star point guard John Wall to their team. In the proposed trade deal, the Heat will be engaging in a three-team trade with the Wizards and the Utah Jazz. The Heat will receive Wall and Jason Smith, the Wizards get Ricky Rubio, Bam Adebayo, Alec Burks, and a 2019 first-round pick, while the Jazz will be acquiring Goran Dragic and Rodney McGruder.
The deal works on ESPN’s NBA Trade Machine. If the trade becomes a reality, it could help the Heat, Wizards, and the Jazz in addressing some of the issues on their roster.
For the Heat, they will finally be having the legitimate NBA superstar they have been missing since their “Big Three” era came to an end. John Wall is not just a better and younger replacement to Goran Dragic, but he will also give the Heat their main option on the offensive end of the floor.
“When healthy and engaged, Wall has proven to be one of the most explosive two-way point guards in the league. While he has had his share of injuries throughout his career, Wall only recently turned 28, and is seemingly in the absolute prime of his career. For a team craving a genuine star, this could be finally the time the Heat land a real difference-maker having missed out on several occasions over the past few years. Jason Smith is included to balance out salaries.”
Does John Wall make sense for the Heat? We discuss in a new Heat mailbag: https://t.co/nwieSSwY5a
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) November 21, 2018
The acquisition of Goran Dragic could be the answer to end the Jazz’s struggle in the 2018-19 NBA season. Adding a scoring point guard like Dragic will boost Utah’s offense which currently ranks No. 26 in the league, scoring 103.5 points per 100 possessions, per ESPN . With his experience playing alongside Dwyane Wade, Dragic won’t have a hard time sharing the court with Jazz superstar Donovan Mitchell.
Meanwhile, the deal could be very beneficial for Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal. Aside from moving out of the shadow of John Wall, Beal will be having a pass-first point guard, Ricky Rubio, as his new backcourt tandem. Despite losing Wall, the arrival of Rubio, Bam Adebayo, and Alec Bucks could help the Wizards remain competitive in the Eastern Conference this season.
