The Miami Heat’s offseason search for shooting has taken them into familiar veteran territory, with Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan both sitting near the top of the conversation. But even with Thompson drawing attention as Miami’s reported No. 1 target, one NBA scout made the case that the Heat might be better served by going in a different direction.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Miami has zeroed in on Thompson as its primary priority while trying to solve its shooting problem. “They hope not.
The Miami Heat's number one priority right now is to acquire shooting. And they found their No. 1 target for that...
Klay Thompson. The problem is Klay Thompson has one year left on his Mavs contract so they're exploring whether they can trade for him, whether this could end up in a buyout, we'll see over the next several weeks,” Charania said.
The Heat, though, are reportedly not rushing into a trade. Instead, they are waiting to see whether Thompson can reach a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks.
Miami is also believed to be keeping its financial room open for him. As NBA Evan Sidery reported, “The Heat are waiting on Klay Thompson to secure a buyout from the Mavericks instead of trading for him, per Miami Herald.
Miami will not use their $7 million remaining on the mid-level exception to keep it available for Klay."
That said, Thompson isn’t the only veteran on Miami’s radar. DeRozan has also surfaced as a serious option, and one scout told Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman that he prefers the former All-Star’s fit and upside at this stage.
“[DeMar] has more left than Klay. But stylistically is the problem.
He's got to come off the bench - if he could accept the role as a six-man type, he would bolster their bench and maybe finish games,” the scout said. “He's not going to defend, he did start to pass the ball a little.
But that's not why you have him. As a sixth man, considering the other options, he's a cut above Thompson.”
The comparison is pretty clear from there. Neither player is viewed as a defensive answer, but DeRozan brings more ways to score. Thompson’s value comes largely from his spot-up shooting, while DeRozan can create his own offense and work into the spots he likes on the floor.
DeRozan has earned $305 million over the course of his NBA career, and the Heat would stand to gain from either veteran. Still, the buzz around the league seems to be leaning toward the idea that DeRozan has more left in the tank right now.
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