The Miami Heat are approaching the Feb. 8 trade deadline with their plans tied closely to the status of guard Tyler Herro, according to a report by Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
Miami’s front office is believed to be reluctant to part with veteran scorer Norman Powell unless there is full confidence that Herro can soon return to form, the report states. Without a healthy Herro, moving Powell would leave the roster without another proven high-volume scorer.
Injuries and inconsistency have already taken a toll. After a promising start, the Heat have slipped to just above .500, winning only nine of their last 24 games. January has produced no back-to-back victories and has featured constant lineup changes prompted by health issues.
Center Bam Adebayo emphasized that defensive consistency must improve regardless of who is available.
“Just got to be more consistent,” Adebayo told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “We can’t front-run. Every game has to be, we hold the line on defense from the start of the game … We’re having too many games where we’ll play great defense one night, [then] another night, we’ll kind of take off.”
Miami’s decision to buy or sell before the deadline appears to hinge on three factors: health, defensive reliability and overall direction. If Herro’s recovery timeline remains unclear, the franchise may have little choice but to reconsider any significant roster moves.
Source: Hoops Wire
