The Miami Heat are already in terrible trouble, and the NBA playoffs are only three days old. There is still time, but the Celtics delivered a humiliating 20-point defeat in Game 1 in Boston, burying the Heat under a barrage of 3-pointers. The Heat’s defense was stretched too thin trying to defend the arc—Boston tied a team record with 22 3-pointers—and there was no hint that the Heat could halt the Celtics’ high-powered offense.
Oh, and Jimmy Butler is very certain to miss the entire playoff series due to a knee injury, adding to the Heat offense’s already limited options.
If the Heat fail to advance past the first round this year, following last season’s spectacular journey from the play-in to the NBA Finals, it may be time for president Pat Riley to get serious about overhauling the team’s elite roster. Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro may have reached their limit.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, “I think Miami will be in a position again to use the assets they have to go out and get another All-Star-level player that maybe connects more on the timeline of Bam Adebayo and his age.”
Bleacher Report suggests adding a new star to the mix, a player on the same career path as Adebayo who can seize the reins as the team’s future cornerstone. That player is Pelicans star Brandon Ingram.
Miami Heat Could Offer Tyler Herro Package
Ingram is a talented player who had one All-talented season, in his first season with the Pelicans in 2019-20, when he was one of the key assets traded by the Lakers to New Orleans for Anthony Davis. But since then, Ingram has struggled to remain healthy, missing roughly 30% of the Pelicans’ games (225 of 318).
He averaged a career-high 24.7 points last year but slipped to 20.8 this year.
However, according to B/R’s Zack Buckley, this should only strengthen the argument. The Miami Heat have minimal assets, but trading for a dented can like Ingram—and praying he stays healthy—might be the best option.
“The fact that Ingram isn’t a top-tier player certainly benefits the Heat, who aren’t overwhelmed with trade assets. They should have plenty for him, especially if there are Tyler Herro supporters in the Pelicans’ front office. “A package of Herro, a young player (Nikola Jović or Jaime Jaquez Jr.) and an unprotected future first-round pick should at least warrant a call back,” he wrote.
Brandon Ingram Hits Free Agency in 2025
It’s a lot to pay for Ingram if the Miami Heat aren’t confident he’ll stay healthy. But if they’re willing to take a chance, Ingram could be the versatile scoring wing the Heat have been seeking for. He is not a natural power forward, but with Adebayo on the inside, Ingram could certainly play some minutes at the four—after all, he is 6-foot-8.
One dilemma for the Heat is how much they may have to pay Ingram in an extension or new contract. He signed a five-year, $158 million contract in 2020 and will be paid $36 million in 2024-25.
While Ingram was eligible for a three-year, $147 million extension this year, he and the Pels have not discussed a new contract. If the Heat make a trade for Ingram, they may decide to wait until free agency in 2025 to sign him.
And a deal makes sense. As Buckley wrote:
“He’s the same age as Adebayo (26), and he’s a skilled enough scorer and secondary playmaker to lift Miami’s offense, which ranked 21st in efficiency, out of its rut. He might potentially become available if the Pelicans’ early postseason loss causes them to reconsider the Ingram-Zion Williamson pairing.”
Leave a Reply