Why The Miami Heat Do The Deal 

If you compare last year’s Heat roster to this year’s group, one absentee stands out: P.J. Tucker. 

The Heat never replaced the veteran 4. Now, Jimmy Butler is manning most of his minutes out of position. It’s fair to wonder whether the Heat need someone who naturally plays the position. 

Kuzma isn’t a precise replacement for Tucker. He’s not nearly the same type of defender, and he’s a slightly less reliable floor spacer. He’s also a much more advanced shot creator and a superior athlete. In the aggregate, he’d be an upgrade. 

Given that he’s still a capable defender and floor spacer, that holds doubly true. Kuzma could be the missing piece that gets the Heat back to looking like title contention. 

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kyle Kuzma, Washington Wizards & Miami Heat Updates

They’d surely welcome that – this team has faced enough adversity for one season.