Could The Heat Be A Beneficial Trade Partner For The Bucks?

The Milwaukee Bucks seem to be finished with free agency barring any surprises coming completely out of the left-field (and accompanied by some incredible cap gymnastics), so if there are to be any further personnel moves, it can only mean one thing.

Trades!

We all love the endless potential and speculation that trades can lead to, but are there possible trades out there that could make sense for the Bucks?

Of course there is, there always is, but saying that there’s one team in particular who seem to be game to trade that could play to the Bucks’ advantage. I’m talking about the Miami Heat.

The Heat have emerged out of the summer as many people’s favorite to cause a bit of a stir as a resurgent force in the East (although if you’ve listened to our latest podcast you’ll know I’m not one of them), so if they feel like they’re close to making a run, are they interested in upgrading their roster?

One thing we do know for sure about the Heat is that they are certainly open to dealing some of their players too.

In the past few days, they have traded away Shabazz Napier to the Orlando Magic for what will likely be no return, while Zoran Dragic has also left Miami, heading to Boston for a second rounder that is also so highly protected that it will most likely not change hands.

In the past month, it’s also been suggested that the Heat want to move Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen too as they try to reduce their luxury tax bill and maintain both flexibility for the future and a competitive roster this year.

Is there a way in which the Bucks and Heat could help each other to improve while also ridding both teams of players who they may not see as part of the long-term plan? I think there might be.

From the Bucks’ perspective, they would give up O.J. Mayo and Jerryd Bayless. Mayo and Bayless are not bad players on the right team, but it’s starting to feel like that may not be Milwaukee.

The Bucks have a whole host of options across their guard spots, and unloading some may not be a bad move.

With an ageing Dwyane Wade always liable to fall foul to injury, Mayo would give the Heat a veteran scoring option at a position where they don’t have any real NBA experience behind new signing Gerald Green.

Miami are pretty tight at point guard behind Goran Dragic (as they’re determined to trade one of the men we’ll get to in a minute), so bringing in Bayless would give them a proven backup for when their All-Star takes a breather, while also providing both a fresh face and approach with Miami having been locked in to a pretty stale point guard rotation for years.

Dec 7, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; Miami Heat forward Josh McRoberts (4) celebrates after a play in the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Coming back to Milwaukee would be Josh McRoberts, a stretch four to further bolster the Bucks forward and shooting options, and someone who we’ve made no secret how much we love here at Behind The Buck Pass.

There has been suggestions that the Heat aren’t “actively shopping” McRoberts, but that doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t move him for the right return.

The Bucks would then also oblige the Heat by taking Chalmers off their hands. Why take Chalmers if you’re Milwaukee? In a variety of ways, Chalmers numbers are quite similar to Bayless’, but there are some important differentiations to be made.

Player	MP	FG%	3P%	FT%	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PTS
Jerryd Bayless	9328	.414	.347	.829	3.6	5.1	1.1	0.2	2.6	14.7
Mario Chalmers	14451	.422	.362	.775	3.2	4.9	2.0	0.2	2.4	11.5

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/29/2015.

First of all Chalmers takes less shots, something which fans who have watched Bayless in the past will know can only be a good thing. Also, Chalmers’ three-point percentage is marginally better too.

Mar 24, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers (15) dunks during the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Chalmers often gets knocked, and his numbers are often labelled as average (which is fair on first look), but when you consider that he spent a significant chunk of his career so far deferring to the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, it’s possible that in new surroundings with a better chance to shine he could show something different.

Either way, the Bucks would still have Greivis Vasquez in reserve to be their primary bench point guard (although he could potentially slide to the two alongside Chalmers), and more importantly, just like Bayless, Chalmers is on an expiring contract so represents no real risk.

To execute a deal, the Bucks might have to add in some draft picks, or may have to further facilitate by taking back Chris Andersen too (something which could be done while also lowering the Heat’s luxury bill by sending Miles Plumlee in exchange).

What do you guys think? Should the Bucks be exploring deals with the Heat or anybody else, or are you happy to see them start the season as they are?

Comment below, or get in touch with us on Twitter!

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