DeMar DeRozan is one of the best players in the NBA, and there is no doubt that the forward had a career year during the 2021-22 season. He averaged 27.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.9 APG for the Chicago Bulls last season, showing high-level midrange scoring and playmaking in the process.
There’s no doubt that DeMar DeRozan could potentially be a difference-maker for any franchise if he were to get traded. His offensive capabilities would help improve any roster, and he was at one point last season in the MVP discussion.
The Miami Heat Have The Ability To Trade For DeMar DeRozan
The Miami Heat are a team that struggled with their offense during the playoffs, with star Jimmy Butler having to take on a huge load to carry the franchise. Perhaps DeMar DeRozan can help with that problem.
Former coach David Thorpe wrote on TrueHoop that the Miami Heat could potentially trade for DeMar DeRozan, noting that they “have the pieces” to make a deal with the Chicago Bulls.
If the Bulls struggle out of the gate the way they limped home last season, DeRozan could return some real mid- and long-term value to a Bulls team featuring Zach LaVine, Pat Williams, and a troupe of young guards. Coming off a monster season, DeRozan’s stock will never be higher.
The Heat—with Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and Nikola Jović—have the pieces to bring DeRozan to South Beach. A DeRozan-Jimmy Butler wing pairing would give Miami a better offensive edge (especially if Butler doubles the number of 3s he took in the regular season, as he did in the playoffs) to overcome the Bucks and the Celtics without sacrificing overall defense. In return, the Bulls get a manageable contract in Robinson’s, a great prospect in Jović, and a budding star in Herro, who they would likely want the Heat to sign and extend as part of any deal.
Though DeMar DeRozan would, in fact, make the Miami Heat a better team from a talent standpoint, Tyler Herro provides crucial spacing and is a good fit with both Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. He could also produce better in a starting role next season.
The Miami Heat were within one game of making the NBA Finals during the 2022 playoffs. Perhaps DeMar DeRozan could end up being the piece that gets to the NBA Finals, and we’ll see if they end up deciding to make a consolidation trade and making a move to acquire him in the future.
