When Duncan Robinson re-signed with the Miami Heat in the offseason of 2021, fans expected him to up his production and be a key piece to a championship contender for years to come. Well, that has not happened, and his time in Miami appears to be coming to an end pretty soon. According to a recent report, the Heat have made Robinson available in trade talks. Here we will look at the four best trade destinations for the sharpshooter as the Heat look to include him in a deal.
It's hardly surprising that the Heat are putting Robinson on the trading block. After all, his output has suffered greatly this season. He's only averaging 6.3 points in 17.6 minutes a game and connecting on 35.4 percent of his field goals. Robinson's specialty is three-point shooting and yet he is draining just 30.6 percent of his threes.
Keep in mind that Robinson was at his best during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. In that span of time, he averaged 13.3 points per game on 42.7 percent 3-point shooting. That performance was a major factor in the team's decision to reward him with a five-year, $90 million contract in the 2021 offseason.
However, his production has really tapered off since then. Robinson has essentially failed to live up to his potential during the last two seasons. Max Strus has even supplanted him in the starting lineup late last season. This season, Strus and even Caleb Martin have cut into Robinson's playing time, underscoring the latter's underwhelming play.
The truth is that if Robinson isn't routinely making threes, he doesn't add much else to the Heat. We do see that he has tried to stretch his game and drive more to the basket this season. However, that hasn't worked out all that well for him or the Heat.
He's also not the best defender out there. This means that unless he is hitting triples, it's difficult to justify playing him for long stretches.
Of course, in looking at any possible Robinson trade, we must take into account his salary. According to HoopsHype salary cap analyst Yossi Golzan, Miami is only $163,000 below the luxury tax this season. However, Miami is expected to be $19 million above the luxury tax next season. This gives the Heat an additional incentive to trade Robinson. Doing so might help Miami stay under the tax threshold for 2023-24.
Now let's look at the four best trade destinations for Duncan Robinson.
Miami has made Duncan Robinson available in trade talks, per @MikeAScotto pic.twitter.com/kMBHur5thK
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) November 21, 2022
4. New York Knicks
The Knicks could be an interesting destination for Duncan Robinson. Remember that NYK is among the worst three-point shooting teams in the league right now. They make just under 32.0 percent of their threes, in fact. Robinson can potentially help lift that metric, assuming he returns to his usual reliable self from beyond the arc, of course.
Another reason this could be an interesting destination is that the Knicks are also looking to deal one player of their own, Evan Fournier. He is owed $18 million this season and $18.9 million in 2023-24, but he has fallen out of New York's rotation due to an extended shooting slump. Yes, that might not make much sense for the Heat, but remember that other Knicks like second-year guard Miles McBride, veteran Derrick Rose, and young gun Immanuel Quickley could also be potential trade targets.
3. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks appear to be in for some changes. Yes, they already had a big acquisition in Dejounte Murray before the season began, but they could also use another perimeter weapon for their supporting cast. Those two could benefit from having a shooter like Duncan Robinson waiting in the wings or corners. This can also potentially move De'Andre Hunter to a hybrid forward position, where he can also do well.
Conversely, remember that the Hawks might also actively look for trade partners as they might look to move John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, or maybe even Clint Capela. The Hawks are expected to prioritize keeping Hunter and 2020 first-rounder Onyeka Okongwu. This means ATL might be more than open for someone like Robinson should that mean dealing Collins, Bogdanovic, or Capela.
Capela might not make much sense for Miami given how they already have Bam Adebayo, but either Collins or Bogdanovic could potentially fit well.
2. Toronto Raptors
Would the Raptors be interested in a straight swap between Duncan Robinson and forward OG Anunoby? Their salaries aren't too far apart, and a change of scenery could do both of them well.
Remember that Anunoby is an excellent two-way player who has improved with each season in the NBA. The 24-year-old is coming off a season in which he averaged 17.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He would fit in wonderfully with the Heat culture, and his defensive abilities would ensure he could play postseason minutes.
On the other side of things, as good as the Raptors' wings are, they could certainly benefit from a sharpshooter like Robinson. His off-ball mobility and floor spacing would be an intriguing addition to open things up, especially for Scottie Barnes. Given the current production of both players, Toronto might not pull the trigger on a straight swap, but if Miami can sweeten the deal with a pick, it could work.
1. Chicago Bulls
While the Bulls have many issues to work out on both ends of the court this season, one absolutely glaring weakness has been the team's lack of shooting. They have pretty decent three-point percentages (36.1), but they only hit 10.3 triples per game. That's 28th so far this season.
Duncan Robinson can potentially help with that. Again, his off-ball mobility and floor-spacing are potentially beneficial changes that can help open spots up for the top Bulls scorers.
The Bulls have been a club in desperate need of shooting for a long time, and that is one of the key reasons why they haven't been able to really make a splash this season. One potential swap candidate is Coby White. This is because of his decreased position and productivity for the third straight season. Keep in mind that White will be eligible for a $9.9 million qualifying offer and restricted free agency this summer after failing to reach an agreement on a rookie-scale contract extension.
An actual trade would need to involve more than White, though, given Robinson's contract. Miami might also need an additional pick to make things sensible for both sides.
Follow Us
Subscribe