After stumbling their way into Boston on Friday, the Miami Heat somehow escaped with a win against the NBA’s best team.
As usual, the Heat were led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, who combined for 53 points on the night. They also set the tone for a solid defensive performance, holding Jayson Tatum to just 14 points on 27% shooting.
So while the Heat are far from dead, like some “experts” believed, they still need some help if they want to make a run in the playoffs this year. According to one NBA insider, that help could come in the form of Grant Williams, who has emerged on Miami’s radar in recent weeks.
The Miami Heat have honed in on Grant Williams as a player of interest via trade, per @GregSylvander pic.twitter.com/E1o1f5niV4
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 3, 2022
If you missed it from last night’s @5OTF_ postgame show, there’s a name on the Heat’s trade radar.
Stay til the end: pic.twitter.com/3M0ZoN4ssa
— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) December 3, 2022
When the news broke, some fans pushed back on the trade rumor and asked why the Celtics would even trade for him when he’s a free agent in the summer…
He is indeed a free agent and that is also something to watch down the line if nothing materializes via trade https://t.co/ysFYxU8Lbh
— Greg Sylvander (@GregSylvander) December 3, 2022
Williams, 24, usually plays a smaller role for the Celtics, but the 6’6″ power forward had to step up in the absence of his teammate, Robert Williams, this season. In the win against the Celtics last night, Grant dropped 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists on 75% shooting.
In a place like Miami, he could thrive in their system and in the vibrant culture they have built in the locker room. But would it be enough to get them over the edge?
Heat Facing Doubts Amid Slow Start To The Season
At 11-12, the Heat have not been the team we all expected them to be, and many are wondering if their title window has closed for good.
Even with Grant Williams, fans aren’t convinced that the Heat have enough to compete with the elites.
“Listen, I love what the Heat have done in this mini era since acquiring Jimmy [Butler],” said NBA Insider Howard Beck. “They’re tough as hell, they share the ball, they do all the little things to win games. The problem is, they have to do all of that at the highest possible level, every night, because they just don’t have the firepower of the top-tier teams. And there’s a hard limit on how many games — or how many playoff series — you can win if you don’t have an elite scorer or two. The Heat don’t. They can’t match Giannis [Antetokounmpo] or [Jayson] Tatum or [Joel] Embiid or [Kevin] Durant, or even Donovan Mitchell. And with the rise of the Cavs (and potentially the Raptors), I don’t see the Heat cracking the top four in the East again with this core. Butler is 33, with a lot of hard miles on him. [Kyle] Lowry is 36. The clock is ticking. That run to the Finals in 2020 was inspiring and memorable. But that was their peak. I just don’t see the Heat finding the elite scorer they need to make another run before these guys are done.”
At this point, the Heat may have already lost their opportunity to win a title. Their core isn’t getting any younger, and the East isn’t getting any easier.
But with one more big-time move, the Heat will give themselves another chance to come out of this Jimmy Butler era as champions.
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