Miami Heat Reportedly Want To Trade This Player
The Miami Heat (25-22) have been to the Eastern Conference Finals in two out of the last three seasons (they made the NBA Finals in 2020).
After a slow start to the 2022-23 season, they came into Sunday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans tied for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.
At one point, Duncan Robinson was a significant part of their team, and he averaged 13.5 points per contest on 44.6% shooting from the three-point range in 2020.
However, he has seen a lot less playing time this season (and during the 2022 NBA Playoffs).
Currently, the former Michigan star is averaging 17.9 minutes of playing time per contest (and has not started in any games).
For reference, Robison started in 208 games over the last three regular seasons (and averaged at least 25.9 minutes of playing time).
He is in the middle of a $90 million contract that has at least two more seasons (there is an early termination option for the 2025-26 season).
Recently, NBA reporter Marc Stein (via his Substack "The Stein Line") reported that the team has been trying to trade Robinson.
Via Stein's Substack: "The Heat, of course, have also been trying to trade Duncan Robinson without success, with Robinson having fallen out of the rotation before his recent finger surgery in Year 2 of a five-year, $90 million contract."
Over 267 career games, Robinson averages 11.4 points per contest on 40.1% shooting from the three-point range.
It's possible that he could still be a very valuable rotational player for a different team (or the Heat at some point again).
He is only 28 years old and is in his fifth season in the NBA after going undrafted in 2018.
