The Miami Heat are coming off an impressive 2021-22 season in which they fell just one win short of making the NBA Finals. The heroic performance of Jimmy Butler increased the faith the franchise can still compete. The focus of the offseason is to retool and attempt to get over the playoff hump that was seen last season.
It has been a fairly quiet offseason for the Heat so far. They re-signed Victor Oladipo to an $11 million deal and Dewayne Dedmon to a deal worth a little over $4 million. It certainly cannot be ruled out that the Heat have their sights set on a larger prize. Most notably, they have been named as one of Kevin Durant's top two landing spots. Miami also has been rumored to be shopping both Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson. Their roster currently only holds 12 players, so it is certain there are still moves in the work.
While the Durant storyline is still to be written, the Heat have upgrades to make outside of this. Here are two players Miami should be targeting regardless if there is a bigger trade in the works.
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2 moves Heat still must make after first weekend of 2022 NBA free agency
Sign T.J. Warren
It has been a difficult stretch for T.J. Warren. At 28 years old, there is still plenty of time remaining in Warren's career. He has flashed moments of high-level play and averaged 19.8 points on 54/40/82 shooting splits in his last fully healthy season. This was two full seasons ago as Warren has battled injuries since the 2020 bubble. Warren played a total of just four games during the 2020-21 season and did not suit up at all last year. He most recently had surgery to repair a navicular fracture in his left foot.
While the injury history is concerning, there is still a decent amount of upside with Warren. He was beginning to hit his stride in the NBA prior to the injuries and should still be regarded as a high-level talent. Given the injury history, the Heat could likely get him at a discounted price. He may have had his words with Jimmy Butler in the past, but with Warren set to help the team, Butler will surely sign on. Winning has always been his biggest priority for Butler, and the former Pacers standout could help the team get there:
"You're f—ing trash."
Jimmy Butler and TJ Warren got tangled up, and both players had a few words for each other 🤬 pic.twitter.com/C0VCJuuEFW
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 9, 2020
In fact, Warren is likely a guy Jimmy Butler would love to play alongside if he ended up on the Heat. The NC State product is a hard-nosed wing who competes on both sides of the floor. Warren's defensive impact would be a notable upgrade over Duncan Robinson or Tyler Herro. The Heat lacked two-way wings a great deal in the playoffs, so T.J. Warren would fill this role effectively.
Sign Kessler Edwards
While nothing the Nets' front office does should be a shock at this point, it was a surprise to see Kessler Edwards shake free. The Pepperdine product was selected with the 44th overall pick last year and agreed to a contract with the Nets. Edwards signed a standard deal with a team option for Year 2, which the Nets elected not to pick up. Brooklyn even rescinded the qualifying offer, making the 21-year-old an unrestricted free agent.
Miami should be in search of two-way impact players, and Kessler Edwards fits this description. Standing 6'7″ with a 6'11” wingspan, he is an active defender who averaged 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per 36 minutes last season. He competes on the defensive side of the ball and still has plenty of room to grow. Edwards played under 1,000 minutes last season and is still fairly unproven, but there is a lot to like in his game:
Way late, but just finished Nets-Bulls from last week and loved Kessler Edwards' defense for the most part.
Plays with active hands, lively feet and quick hips, and moves incredibly well at 6-foot-7: pic.twitter.com/xK0FiGExSc
— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) January 18, 2022
The Heat could benefit greatly from inking Edwards to a long-term deal and investing in his development. The 21-year-old had some real positive flashes in his rookie season. He has the ingredients of a player who fits the “Heat Culture” mold and likely can be had for a cheap cost. The Pepperdine product has a ton of development still to do and will make an impact on whatever team he ends up with.
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While the focus will still be on a potential Kevin Durant trade, the Heat must make winning in the margins a priority. Having impactful bench players is essential to playoff success. Miami had major issues because of how one-sided some of its rotational pieces were last season. Adding Warren and Edwards would grant more lineup flexibility and set them up for success. The Heat will have their sights set on competing again next season, and these two additions would help with this process.
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