The Miami Heat are learning a lesson about overestimating their homegrown talent, as the team has proven that Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro can’t be a title-winning duo already. The team is 3-7 since trading Jimmy Butler away, with their win-now adjustments proving to have bore little fruit through the first month of the trade. While they’re still a Playoff team, they need to reimagine their roster in the summer.
The Memphis Grizzlies have proven their worth as a dangerous regular-season team in the past but need to prove it in the Playoffs. Not many are backing them to do that this season either, despite them being a top seed all year. But if they do flame out early, there’ll be massive pressure to alter the team’s core.
If both the Heat and Grizzlies have disappointing Playoff runs, they could connect on what could be a league-altering trade.
Trade Details
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Bam Adebayo
Miami Heat Receive: Desmond Bane, GG Jackson, 2027 First-Round Pick (MEM), 2029 First-Round Pick (MEM), 2028 Second-Round Pick (MEM)
Even though the Heat may have tall hopes of what they can achieve with Adebayo as a franchise cornerstone, the team will definitely need to take a long hard look at an offer with this much value in it. The Grizzlies add a full-fledged versatile center to create arguably the best two-man frontcourt in the NBA and become a much more terrifying threat in the West.
Grizzlies Become Defensive Menaces
The Grizzlies have already built a lot of their identity under coach Taylor Jenkins as an ace defensive franchise. If defense wins championships, then the Grizzlies are far closer to it than most other teams primarily due to their cogent team-wide defensive principles. That’s also led to Jaren Jackson Jr. winning a DPOY and being in contention for another this season.
Their defense would become impenetrable if they added Bam Adebayo. Bam is averaging 17.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists this season with the Heat. While his offensive struggles have many concerns, a frontcourt partner like Jackson Jr. will make his life on offense much easier as a high-volume scorer. He’d be a great passing hub as well as a defensive anchor to Jackson’s roaming defender.
With the perimeter defensive solidity maintained by Ja Morant, Jaylen Wells, and more, the Grizzlies would truly become the modern-day version of the Grit’n’Grind Grizzlies.
Heat Find The Best Route To Adjust
There is a scenario where the Heat can entice a franchise to throw a lot of first-round picks for a defensive talent like Adebayo. However, we know the franchise isn’t one to value picks as much as players who they can tangibly extract value from. Getting both Desmond Bane and GG Jackson could prove to be more beneficial, especially with the additional draft sweeteners.
Bane is averaging 18.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists this season, having a rough year shooting the ball. He’s an aggressive defender and can be one of the best shooters in the NBA, so it further stretches the crowded Heat floor.
GG Jackson is averaging 8.4 points and 3.1 rebounds this season but the 20-year-old is considered to have a potential All-NBA ceiling although there’s a lot more discovery to still do.
The Heat can afford to run out a Herro-Bane backcourt while trying to compete with defensive stalwarts like Andrew Wiggins in the starting five as well. This won’t make the Heat title contenders, but it’ll make them a Playoff team with a few future assets as well. Jackson’s development could be the x-factor as if he lives up to being an All-Star or All-NBA player, the Grizzlies will never forgive themselves.
A Win-Win Deal
The Heat don’t need to trade Adebayo, but moving him gets the franchise tons more additional space to keep building out their roster in years to come. Instead of potentially having a contender when Adebayo is towards the end of his prime, they’re cashing in their chips now for younger assets who might be more useful in the long run. Even if it backfires on-court, it inarguably sets the team up for the future.
The Grizzlies could miss Bane’s shooting and defense at the perimeter but they’ve beefed up their inside with Adebayo, who’d make a killer partnership with Jaren, who’ll likely be the power forward. It gives them the latitude to expose mismatches like the Rockets and Lakers while giving them enough to hold off the likes of the Timberwolves and Nuggets.
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