Miami Heat Receive: F Larry Nance Jr.
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: F Precious Achiuwa, F/C Kelly Olynyk, MIA 2022 1st Round Pick
As of right now, the Cleveland Cavaliers have not made their intentions clear on whether or not they want to “sell” a bunch of their players, but Larry Nance Jr. would definitely come at a high-price on the trade market. He has consistently been getting better and tougher as an interior rebounder and given what he can do in the paint, the Heat would have to be willing to give up a fair amount of assets to acquire him.
Precious Achiuwa was drafted 20th overall this past offseason by the Miami Heat and has been a really solid rookie for them this season, averaging 6.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and shooting 58.9% off-the-bench. He has been a very reliable role player for them, but if the Heat are going to have any chance of making it back to the NBA Finals, they are going to have to improve their overall talent in the frontcourt next to Bam Adebayo.
Kelly Olynyk has been another key role player in the Heat’s frontcourt this season, but he does not really contribute much other than being a pick-and-roll big who can step out on the perimeter and knock down shots. Olynyk is a very streaky player when it comes to rebounding and is not much of a consistent option.
Last season, they had Jae Crowder as a high-level veteran who could do a little bit of everything on the court, but this year, with him gone, the Heat still have that void on their roster. Jimmy Butler has been fantastic when he has been healthy, but he can not do everything for this team by himself.
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Bringing in Larry Nance Jr. not only gives the Heat another strong rebounder, but a frontcourt player who is comfortable guarding virtually anybody. Nance Jr. has always been a really solid defender and one of his better attributes is his ability to disrupt passing lanes and cause turnovers. He is averaging 1.9 steals per game this season and is very active defensively.
Creating fast-break opportunities is one of the strengths of his game and with the Heat being a very defensive-focused team, Larry Nance Jr. could be a perfect addition for them. With that said, let’s take a closer look as to why this trade makes sense for both teams.
