Why The Miami Heat Do The Deal 

Meanwhile, the Heat don’t need Hachimura to produce like a lottery pick to justify this deal. They simply need him to outperform Oladpio. 

That’s far from a given, but it should be achievable. Oladipo is shooting inefficiently from long range this season. He’s not meeting a standard that Hachmura wouldn’t surpass. 

Hachimura also fills a position of need for the Heat. They’ve struggled to replace P.J. Tucker at the 4 since last year.

Hachimura, if nothing else, fills that position for them. 

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Rui Hachimura, Miami Heat & Washington Wizards

Yes, this is a risk for Miami. If Hachimura doesn’t look better in new digs, they’ve given up a first-round pick for a player they probably won’t retain in free agency anyway. 

Still, sometimes, you’ve got to throw a Hail Mary.