Why The Miami Heat Do The Deal 

One thing seems clear: if the Heat are going to win the NBA championship in 2022-23, they may need to replace Duncan Robinson. 

If that feels like a harsh criticism of Robinson, it’s not intended to be. Just as winning a title is incredibly hard, the bar for a championship rotation player is incredibly high. In the 2021-22 playoffs, the Heat didn’t feel that Robinson cleared it. Due to his defensive issues, he eventually found himself out of the rotation. 

Granted, Caris LeVert is not an elite defender in his own right. Still, he’s solid enough to hold his own. Moreover, he’s a much more dynamic playmaker and shot creator, albeit, also a significantly weaker floor spacer. 

In all likelihood, that skillset will suit itself to sixth man duties for LeVert on this Heat squad. Of course, some will protest that the Heat already have a sixth man.

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In fact, they have a reigning Sixth Man of the Year in Tyler Herro. That’s no concern – simply put, this deal would finally force Herro into the Heat’s starting lineup. 

Would it change the Rockets’ rotation?