Our Heat off-season companion part 1 article discusses Gabe Vincent’s free agency, the 2023 NBA draft and the biggest trade rumor surrounding the Heat. The Heat will likely make moves in this off-season. Let’s get into all of it.
Heat Off-Season Companion Part 1: Gabe Vincent Is Now a Free Agent
Gabe Vincent was the Heat’s starting point guard in the 2022-23 NBA season. Vincent averaged 9.4 points and 2.5 assists in the regular season. However, Vincent stepped up in the 2023 playoffs and increased his averages to 12.7 points and 3.5 assists. The Heat would not have made it to the 2023 NBA Finals without Gabe Vincent.
As a result, his free agency is quite important for the Heat. The Heat should re-sign him if they don’t trade him. As long as Vincent doesn’t want an excessively large contract, the Heat should endeavor to re-sign him and improve the roster in other ways.
The Heat Have the 18th Pick in the 2023 NBA Draft
It is also important to point out that the 2023 NBA Draft takes place today. There will certainly be trades during this draft and there is uncertainty about which players teams will select with their draft picks. The only real certainty is that the San Antonio Spurs will draft Victor Wenbanyama with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The Heat have a number of interesting options with the 18th pick. The Heat might target a power forward to allow Jimmy Butler to play in his natural position at small forward. However, generally speaking, the Heat will likely keep this pick and use it to add more scoring to the roster.
Heat Off-season Companion Part 1: One Rumor Suggests The Heat Might Trade for Damian Lillard
There is some information that suggests Damian Lillard might get traded by the Trailblazers this off-season. Lillard wants the Blazers to trade away the third pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and add some veterans to their roster. However, reports indicate that the Blazers are reluctant to trade this third pick and want to use it to add young talent to the team.
Amidst all this, the Heat are reportedly one of the teams Lillard would be interested in joining if he is traded. The Heat could use Lillard’s scoring, but whether or not the Heat have the assets to make that trade happen is another question. It is a good idea to monitor this story for future developments.
The Heat’s Off-Season Plans Will Become Clearer after the Draft
It is likely that the Heat’s plans for the off-season will become clearer once the 2023 NBA Draft is over. It is unlikely that the Heat will trade the 18th pick in the draft at this point. However, it will be interesting to see who the Heat select on draft night. I would bet that the Heat retain the pick and make moves using other assets.
Check back next week for more Miami Heat content.