We suggest one trade the LA Clippers could make with the Miami Heat.
Our quest to find one trade for the LA Clippers to make with every team in the NBA has reached its final week. We kick off our final division with the Southeast-leading Miami Heat, who currently hold the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 41-24.
The Heat improved last summer when they added superstar free-agent Jimmy Butler via a sign-and-trade deal with Philadelphia. They are anchored inside by emerging star big-man Bam Adebayo and have received major contributions from rookies Kedrick Nunn and Tyler Herro as well as second-year breakout Duncan Robinson. Veteran point guard Goran Dragic continues to be a steady contributor for the team while coming off the bench.
In a three-team trade before the deadline, Miami added veteran role-player help by adding Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder, and Solomon Hill to their roster.
We look for a deal to help the Clippers with what the Heat have to offer from their mix of expensive veterans and bargain-priced young players.
Why we suggest this trade for the LA Clippers:
Kelly Olynyk has seen his minutes drop to 18.5 per-game this season, and is not a part of either of Miami’s top two most used lineups. His time in Miami may be coming to an end and we look to use that to the Clippers’ advantage to add the six-foot-eleven sharpshooter to their bench mix. Olynyk is shooting 43.2 percent from three-point range this season on just over three attempts-per-game. His size gives him some defensive versatility from the power forward position that could help the Clippers already strong bench unit. Of the players we look to sacrifice in this deal, JaMychal Green is the only one playing significant minutes for the Clippers this season. His absence in the second-unit could cause some chemistry concerns, but we don’t see any issues with Olynyk being able to take on the role without causing any issues.
Would the Heat do it?
The three-players-for-one swap isn’t often seen when all of the pieces involved are role players. Green fits in with Miami and their current roster a bit more than Olynyk does, and they’d be seeing the return of former Heat player Rodney McGruder as well. If Olynyk doesn’t fit in with their plans, and they see a better fit with the cheaper Green, the deal could make sense.
Read the rest of our “One Trade with every Team” series here:
Pacific Division: Lakers, Warriors, Kings, Suns
Northwest Division: Nuggets, Jazz, Thunder, Blazers, Timberwolves
Southwest Division: Rockets, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Spurs
Atlantic Division: Raptors, Celtics, 76ers, Nets, Knicks
Central Division: Bucks, Pacers, Bulls, Pistons, Cavaliers
Southeast Division: Heat, Magic, Wizards, Hornets, Hawks