Should Miami Heat Pursue Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray?
After 34 games into the season, the Miami Heat can see their strengths and weaknesses because the sample size is more than enough to make objective opinions.
The point-of-attack defense, the fourth-quarter lulls, and inconsistent play from the point guard position all stand out for the Heat going into the New Year.
They have struggled to stop anyone from getting into the paint, repeatedly forcing center Bam Adebayo to serve as the savior. If he is out of the lineup, it all falls apart.
If you attack the Heat defense, you will find little resistance stopping the drive.
The Heat are always a preferred trade destination for every player that hits the market, but only a few make sense fit and compensation-wise. Sometimes, you have to ignore all of the noise.
That was until Dejounte Murray came up in trade rumors.
Murray averages 20 points, five assists, and four rebounds on 46/38/83 splits. He is a former All-Defensive player, although he isn't at that level anymore.
Once defensive players pick up more of an offensive load, their defense tends to fall off. Mikal Bridges is a great example.
There's no better culture and coach to pull that level of play out of Murray again in Miami. You never know what you're going to get from Kyle Lowry on any given night. In one game, he's solid, but in the next you may get nothing.
Murray won't magically fix all the issues, but he's a clear improvement that gives you some consistency at the point guard position.
The Heat are tied with Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Oklahoma City Thunder for third-best odds at +950 to land Murray according to Bovada. Los Angeles Lakers are first with the best odds at -115.
You have scorers, but now you need a floor general to get the most out of the talent. Murray has a four-year, $100-million-dollar extension that kicks in next season, so you wouldn't have to worry about losing him to free agency for a while.
He is eligible for trade on Friday due to his contract. No one knows the route the Hawks plan to go as they sit at 14-19 in 11th place in the Eastern Conference.
The trade package will likely have to contain multiple first-round picks and matchable salary. If that's the case, the Heat should be all in to acquire Murray.
Devin Brown is a contributing writer to Inside The Heat. He can be reached at dbrwnjr@gmail.com or Twitter @dbrwnjr.
