How They Got Here: The Finals’ Teams’ Team Building

After a team goes far in the playoffs, a lot of individuals are quick to point out how team played during the series, though fewer will focus on how teams got there.  I think the roster construction of both Denver and Miami is absolutely fascinating and is something I want to look at.  As such, this post looks at both teams roster construction and how we reached this point for both teams.

 

DEN

• 2/22/2011:  The Denver Nuggets traded Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks.  In exchange for Anthony and several players (none of whom really panned out greatly or remained in New York long), Denver didn’t appear to get much on first glimpse, as they got 1 1^st, 1 1^st round swap, 2 2^nd round picks (though they also gave up a 2^nd), and some role players.  First, there was a point where a superstar didn’t necessarily get tons of picks necessarily, so that’s something to keep in mind.  Further, the players they got back ended up including some important players during their consistent stretch of either making the playoffs or just missing, including Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Kosta Koufos, and Timofey Mozgov.  While one 1^st ended up being traded to get Andre Iguodala, the pick swap resulted in Denver moving up from 9 to 7, where they were able to draft Jamal Murray.
• 6/17/2013:  Denver hired Tim Connelly to replace Masai Ujiri as general manager after Ujiri left for Toronto.  Connelly was responsible for assembling the core of their championship team.  His tenure was noted for growing the team organically and not firing the coach or making desperate trades when they came up short, something that is not particularly common across the league.
• 6/6/2014:  Denver drafted Nikola Jokic with the 41^st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.  While there are many jokes about the fact that he was drafted during a Taco Bell ad since players are selected during commercials in the second round, the truth was that most scouting reports weren’t too kind to him at the time.  The main point of criticism at the time was related to his athleticism; that said, it is also worth pointing out that there were similar criticisms levied against Marc Gasol upon being drafted, who was generally referred to at the time as Pau Gasol’s fat younger brother.
• 3/3/2015:  Denver fired head coach Brian Shaw.  Upon replacing Hall of Famer George Karl, Shaw’s first season resulted in a 36-46 record, which was their worst record since 2002-03, as well as being the first time they missed the playoffs since then.  After a 20-39 start to the 2014-15 season, Shaw was fired, compiling a 56-85 record (.397).  Melvin Hunt was named the interim head coach.
• 6/15/2015:  Denver hired Michael Malone to be their new head coach.  While Malone had limited head coaching experience (he was fired shortly into his second season in Sacramento during a stretch where coaches didn’t typically last more than a season there), he had received praise for his job in previous coaching stops, including Golden State and New Orleans.
• 7/12/2015:  Nikola Jokic signed with Denver.  He was a draft-and-stash player and played overseas for one more season prior to signing.
• 6/23/2016:  Denver selected Jamal Murray with the 7^th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.  While it wasn’t a shocking pick, Murray was largely considered to be more of a combo guard than a point guard, leading to questions about how he would fit given Gary Harris’ presence.  During his second season, it was announced that he would be the starting point guard, which wasn’t long after the team had chosen Nikola Jokic as their center, a pairing that made sense given Jokic’s passing ability.
• 2/13/2017:  Denver traded Jusuf Nurkic and a 2017 1^st round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for Mason Plumlee, a 2018 2^nd round pick, and cash considerations.  While it may seem silly now, there were serious debates regarding who was the better big man to build around between Nurkic and Nikola Jokic.  Nurkic was only 22 at the time and had immense upside on both ends, especially on defense.  This move signaled that they recognized Jokic was their center of the future, something they appeared to favor during the 2016-17 season.
• 6/22/2017:  In a draft that is most remembered for their decision to trade Donovan Mitchell to Utah, Denver selected Monte Morris with the 51^st in the 2017 Draft.  While he initially was signed to a 2-Way contract during his rookie deal, they later signed him to a full contract.  He developed into a key backup point guard due to his ability to shoot and make plays; he also filled in as a starter when Jamal Murray was injured.
• 7/13/2017:  Denver signed Paul Millsap to a 3-year, $90M contract.  While he was not a part of the Nuggets during their championship run, it was notable because Millsap was one of the more touted free agents that year, as a 4-time All-Star and an All-Defensive Team member in 2016.
• 4/11/2018:  Denver lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-106 in overtime, which eliminated them from the playoffs despite a 46-36 record.  Despite obvious disappointment, there were reports that came out where the team was convinced that they would make the playoffs the following year, a goal that proved fruitful.  Another telling sign was how much the team’s depth struggled:  While Nikola Jokic finished a +7 in over 46 minutes, Gary Harris was a -18 in around 21 minutes and Mason Plumlee was a -14 in around 12 minutes.
• 6/21/2018:  Denver drafted Michael Porter Jr. with the 14^th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.  Porter was one of the top players in his high school class in 2017 before falling in the draft due to injury concerns and being raw due to these.  That said, I praised the pick since they could afford to take a swing on someone with star potential.  I was high on him entering the draft, as the only players I liked more in this draft were Luka Doncic (which panned out well) and Mo Bamba (which did not).  I tend to be more liberal with betting on players with injury concerns, so I had said that I would consider drafting him as soon as Doncic and Deandre Ayton were drafted (while I wasn’t as high on Ayton, I thought that his scoring potential and offensive footwork made it difficult to not justify using a top pick on him).
• 7/9/2018:  Nikola Jokic signed a 5-year, $148M maximum contract extension with Denver.  There was some debate at the time about whether to extend him then or allow him to reach free agency the next year.  Not extending him would have allowed his contract to be significantly cheaper, though he would be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.  While he didn’t look like a superstar yet, there were glimpses of how good he could be to just lock him up then and not risk unrestricted free agency.
• 7/19/2018:  Michael Porter Jr. underwent his second back surgery, as he previously had surgery less than a year prior.  He ended up missing the entire season; while this wasn’t too shocking, as he already slipped to 14^th in the draft due to injury concerns, it brought up questions regarding what his NBA career could even be.
• 7/8/2019:  Denver traded a 2020 1^st round pick to Oklahoma City in exchange for Jerami Grant.  Grant ended up proving to be a perfect fit as a versatile defender who could guard both forward positions who was willing to be the fourth or fifth option on offense.  A player like him proved to be one of the missing pieces that could help the core.
• 7/24/2019:  Denver signed Jamal Murray to a 5-year, $158M extension.  It was clear to that point that, despite some inconsistencies with his jumper, he was Denver’s point guard of the future.  While this was prior to his injury, one notable aspect of this contract was that it didn’t have a player option in the last year, something that gives the team a bit more control.
• 12/24/2019:  Denver announced they had extended head coach Michael Malone.  At that point, Malone had turned the team into one of the better in the West, while leading them to the Western Conference Finals the year before.
• 9/15/2020:  Denver beat the Los Angeles Clippers in a 7-game playoff series, resulting in them being the second team to ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in two series in the same playoffs.  While they ultimately lost in the Western Conference Finals, this gave a teaser of how talented the team was and how good Jamal Murray could be in the playoffs.
• 11/18/2020:  R.J. Hampton was selected with the 24^th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by Milwaukee and was traded to Denver in exchange for a 2023 1^st round pick.  While considered one of the top prospects in his high school class, he opted to play in New Zealand and had difficulties on both ends, resulting in him falling substantially.  I praised the pick at the time due to his upside on both ends and how highly touted he was, comparing it to Denver previously drafting Michael Porter Jr. in 2018 and Bol Bol in 2019.
• 11/22/2020:  Jerami Grant joined the Detroit Pistons in a sign-and-trade.  Grant left the team because he wanted a larger role, while a rebuilding Pistons squad had the opening to provide a starring role.  Grant’s presence was sorely missed early in the season, which was a key factor in the Aaron Gordon trade.
• 12/20/2020:  Denver resigned Paul Millsap to a 1-year, $10M contract.  While he wasn’t a star at that point, it was valuable for the organization that a previous big name free agent ended up resigning with the team.
• 3/25/2021:  Denver acquired Aaron Gordon and Gary Clark from Orlando in exchange for R.J. Hampton, Gary Harris, and a 2025 1^st round pick.  At the time of the trade, this seemed like a slam dunk deal considering the amount of hype surrounding Gordon.  I praised the trade since I thought Gordon would thrive as a fourth option on offense behind Jokic, Murray, and Porter while filling in the void left by Jerami Grant’s free agency; I also thought that Gordon would be better in the role since he’s a better athlete and I thought made more sense in the role.  From Denver’s side, they didn’t give up a ton, especially since Harris had struggled in the previous few years; while Hampton had a lot of potential, he wasn’t going to do too much for Denver in the short term.  As such, it felt like a no-brainer from their end.
• 4/12/2021:  Jamal Murray tore his ACL against the Golden State Warriors.  This was a massive gut punch to the team since they looked like they were complete once Aaron Gordon was traded there; Zach Lowe went as far as saying that he thought Denver would win the Championship at that time, a statement that seemed totally reasonable.  He wound up missing the remainder of that season as well as the next season.
• 8/11/2021:  Denver signed Jeff Green to a 2-year, $9M contract with the second year being a player option.  After a largely inconsistent career, Green became a model for consistency in his time with Brooklyn as a versatile option on both ends.  Green’s presence would give Denver another bigger forward as well as a small-ball option at center.
• 9/27/2021:  Denver signed Aaron Gordon to a contract extension.  He is currently signed to a 4-year, $76M contract with a player option in 2025-26.  This extension not only allowed the team to have him during this season, but also for the next few seasons as their current core is also under contract.
• 9/29/2021:  Michael Porter Jr. signed a 5-year, $172M contract.  While he looked like an awesome offensive player, it was a massive risk considering his defense at that point and his injury issues.  Normally there is some sort of injury clause if a player has dealt with that many injuries to that point, but Denver didn’t include that, which I found surprising.
• 11/29/2021:  Michael Porter Jr.’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, announced that Porter would miss the remainder of the season due to undergoing back surgery for the third time.  While the season was already a lost season due to Jamal Murray’s injury, this brought up more questions about his future and about what this team could be.
• 1/19/2022:  Denver participated in a 3-team trade where they gave up Bol Bol, PJ Dozier, and a 2^nd rounder in exchange for Bryn Forbes.  While Forbes was acquired to give them another shooter, I think this move, along with later trading Bones Hyland, showed what they were trying to get with effort and attitude.  There were reports that Michael Malone told Dozer, who was injured that season, that he could have a job as an assistant coach for Malone whenever he retired if he wanted one.  Even though he couldn’t play due to injury that season, it showcased the respect that he had and how much Denver valued these types of players.
• 3/23/2022:  Denver announced they had extended head coach Michael Malone.  I think this extension is important because there are many organizations that would not have done this.  While many would have let Malone go because they weren’t able to get out of the second round after the Bubble to that point, Denver recognized that injuries played a role in this and opted for consistency, something that I believe helped the team once they were healthy.
• 5/23/2022:  Tim Connelly left Denver to join Minnesota’s front office.  This was considered a bit of a surprise since Minnesota had not much success in its history, especially in recent years.  They did finish in 7^th and had a nice core lined up, but it was still puzzling to a lot of people.
• 5/23/2022:  Calvin Booth was announced as Tim Connelly’s replacement.  Booth was already in the organization as one of the higher executives, which made him a natural choice to be the lead executive.  Booth was essential in making a few final key moves that pushed Denver over the edge.
• 6/9/2022:  Jeff Green picked up his player option.  While he might have been able to get a similar contract with the potential for an additional year, his presence gave Denver some options for depth.
• 6/23/2022:  Denver selected Christian Braun with the 21^st pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.  Braun rose up draft boards after a successful Combine.  I liked the pick and thought that Braun could contribute as an off-ball athlete and defender off the bench.
• 7/7/2022:  Denver signed Bruce Brown to a 2-year, $13M contract with a player option in the second year.  Despite showing immense value with the Nets as a defender, he appeared limited as an offensive option at the time, though Denver planned to try him as a backup guard.
• 7/6/2022:  Denver acquired Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from Washington in exchange for Will Barton and Monte Morris.  While Barton was a solid scorer and Morris was a valuable backup point guard for them, Caldwell-Pope made so much sense as an off-ball 3-and-D option that the team was truly missing on both ends.  While he didn’t work in Washington, he won a championship with the Lakers and had proven to be a guy who could step up against several wings or guards.
• 7/8/2022:  Nikola Jokic signed a 5-year, $264M supermax extension.  There might have been criticisms at that time, but I personally thought that someone with his skill level made too much sense to not lock up long term as a 2-time MVP.
• 7/16/2022:   Denver signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a 2-year, $30M extension.  Even though he had not played a game in Denver yet, the contract was feasible and signed him for more than just this season, even if there was a player option in 2024-25.
• 2/9/2023:  Denver was involved in a 4-team trade where they acquired Thomas Bryant in exchange for Bones Hyland, Davon Reed, and a 2^nd round pick (initially, these were separate trades where Denver acquired Hyland for 2 2^nd rounders and Bryant for 3 2^nd rounders, but two of the picks they acquired were sent in the trade for Bryant).  While Hyland was a player that Denver was grooming to be a bench scorer for them and was early in his career, there were some reported locker room issues and concerns that Hyland wasn’t focused on winning, so they decided that it was better to get rid of him.  At that time, there was also the belief that they needed a backup center, which is why they acquired Bryant.  Even though Bryant didn’t end up playing down the stretch, having him made it so other teams didn’t have him, including the L.A. Lakers, who probably could have used him in their Western Conference Finals series.

 

 

MIA

 

• 6/15/1995:  Pat Riley resigned from the New York Knicks via fax to inform them of his intentions of becoming the head coach and team president of Miami.  While it was met with controversy and allegations of tampering since he still had time remaining on his contract, ultimately Riley brought an intensity that shaped what would be referred to as Heat Culture.
• Summer of 2003:  Pat Riley stepped down as head coach and hired Stan Van Gundy, who was an assistant, to replace him.
• 8/6/2003:  Miami signed Udonis Haslem to a minimum contract.  Haslem went undrafted in the 2002 draft and played in France for a year largely due to being short for a big (6’6) and being on the heavier side (he was 300 pounds starting his French contract, though he lost a significant amount of weight by the end of that season).  He ended up being named to an All-Rookie team that season and was a consistent starter by year 2 of the contract.
• 8/2/2005:  Miami resigned Udonis Haslem to a 5-year, $30.25M contract.  This was one of the earliest instances of an undrafted player making a massive impact on Miami and then getting a contract out of it.  He also ended up being a massive contributor on their 2006 squad that one the franchise’s first championship.
• 12/12/2005:  Stan Van Gundy resigned from the role of head coach with Miami and was replaced by Pat Riley.  While there were allegations that Riley ran Van Gundy out, Van Gundy never confirmed these rumors, instead saying he resigned for family reasons.  Miami ended up winning the championship that season.
• 4/28/2008:  Pat Riley resigned from his position as head coach of the Heat.  The team finished 15-67, which was Riley’s worst record and tied a franchise worst record.  Erik Spoelstra, an assistant who rose through the ranks after starting in the video room, was announced as his replacement.
• 7/12/2010:  Udonis Haslem resigned with Miami on a 5-year, ~$20M contract.  This was a massive deal since he resigned with Miami despite coming off the bench the previous year and having the potential to sign for $14M more with other teams.  This is something that signified Haslem’s dedication to the team and Heat Culture.
• 9/29/2013:  Miami extended Spoelstra’s contract.  While details weren’t announced and no future extensions have been announced, Spoelstra already was a 2-time champion with Miami as a coach and has developed into one of the best coaches of all time and arguably the best coach currently in the NBA.
• 7/19/2014:  Miami resigned Udonis Haslem to a 2-year, ~$5.5M contract.  After losing his rotation spot the year before and opting out of his contract, Haslem’s decision to resign is something that most players wouldn’t do, which shows the kind of individual he is.
• 2/19/2015:  Miami acquired Goran Dragic and Zoran Dragic in a 3-team trade where they gave up Danny Granger and 2 1^st round picks (one was protected and didn’t convey).  Dragic ended up being a key piece of their late 2010’s to early 2020’s prior to Miami signing Kyle Lowry, as he was a competitive point guard who was a solid offensive option.
• 7/9/2015:  Miami signed Goran Dragic to a 5-year, $90M contract.  While the contract was sizeable at first, Dragic ended up proving a valuable point guard for Miami and outplayed the deal, especially after the cap spike the following offseason.
• 7/10/2016:  Maimi resigned Udonis Haslem to a 1-year, $4M contract.  This was the start of Haslem being effectively the 15^th guy on the roster, but giving them as much value as an additional coach (potentially more).
• 7/15/2016:  Dwyane Wade signed a 2-year contract with the Chicago Bulls.  While it was a bit of a blow that a lifelong Heat would leave, this actually helped get Jimmy Butler to Miami.  When the two were teammates in Chicago, Wade sold Butler on the Heat’s organization and culture, which led Butler to join the team 3 years later.
• 6/22/2017:  Miami drafted Bam Adebayo with the 14^th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.  This selection seemed a little higher than projected at the time, but the biggest shock might have come from me since I wasn’t that high on him (which is one of my biggest draft mistakes to date).  While I thought he was a versatile defender (though I wouldn’t have guessed this amazing on that end), I thought his offensive game was extremely limited and that his game was largely boosted by De’Aaron Fox at Kentucky.  The biggest thing I misjudged on offense was how smart of a passer he was, which likely would have made me argue that he should have been a top-10 pick.
• 7/20/2017:  Miami resigns Udonis Haslem to a 1-year, minimum contract.
• 2/8/2018:  Miami acquired Dwyane Wade from Cleveland in exchange for a 2^nd round pick.  While Wade was at the end of his career at that point, it was a nice feel-good story.
• 7/10/2018:  Miami signed Duncan Robinson to a two-way contract.  While he didn’t project to be more than a G-League player who could shoot well out of college, Robinson’s jumper, size, and intensity intrigued Miami.  Later that season, they converted his contract was converted to a regular contract, where he was paid a minimum contract for 2 seasons.  He proved to be a sharpshooter under this contract and was a valuable player to have spacing the floor.
• 9/6/2018:  Miami resigns Udonis Haslem to a 1-year, minimum contract.
• 9/18/2018:  Miami resigned Dwyane Wade to a one-year, minimum contract.  This ended up being his final season; while the team struggled and missed the playoffs, it was a nice sendoff for him prior to signing Jimmy Butler.
• 4/10/2019:  Miami signed Kendrick Nunn to a 2-year, minimum contract.  While he wasn’t a member of the team this year, his top-3 finish in the 2019 Rookie of the Year showed what Miami could do with undrafted rookies.
• 6/20/2019:  Miami drafted Tyler Herro with the 13^th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.  Around the time, there were reports that Herro was appealing due to how well he performed in shooting workouts with the team, with some rumors suggesting that he was more successful in a shooting drill than Ray Allen.  That said, it wasn’t clear that just how skilled he was going to be on the ball.
• 7/6/2019:  Jimmy Butler was acquired by Miami in a sign-and-trade on a 4-year, $140.7M contract.  This was notable because Butler wanted to go to Miami, but Miami had no cap space, so Miami somehow was able to make this work, especially since Zach Lowe had said leading up to this that Miami was not in the best situation with contracts (a sentiment that I agreed with).  They sent out a 2023 1^st rounder to the Clippers, Josh Richardson to Philadelphia, and Hassan Whiteside to Portland, and got back Jimmy Butler, Meyers Leonard, and cash.  While some had criticized the move to bring in Butler for that large of a contract, he was a star who was insanely competitive and fit their culture perfectly.  His two-way play and clutch ability in the playoffs made him a superstar in Miami.  It’s also worth noting that they originally planned on trading Goran Dragic, but he really wanted to play with Butler.
• 8/6/2019:  Miami resigns Udonis Haslem to a 1-year, minimum contract.  He had previously announced he would retire after the previous season, though he ultimately changed his mind.
• 1/8/2020:  Miami signed Gabe Vincent to a two-way contract.  At UC Santa Barbara, he looked like a solid shooting point guard who projected to be an off-ball guard, though his size limited his upside.  Miami signed him to another two-way deal the following season where he was inconsistent with his jumper but a solid backup.
• 2/6/2020:  Miami made a 3-team trade where they acquired Jae Crowder, Andre Iguodala, and Solomon Hill while sending out Justise Winslow, James Johnson, and Dion Waiters.  What they sent out wasn’t considered a lot since Winslow was oft injured (though he was very talented when healthy), Johnson was struggling, and Waiters had caused more headaches than worthwhile.  The major focus of the trade was Iguodala (Miami even extended his contract as part of the agreement), but Crowder ended up being the best player in the trade for them.  His shooting in the Bubble was a massive part of their Finals run and showed how valuable a shooter with his skillset was for Miami.
• 9/27/2020:  The Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics to advance to the NBA Finals.  As a 5-seed, Miami wasn’t expected to make it, especially since they were considered heavy underdogs against the Bucks the round prior.  While they ended up losing to the Lakers in the next round, this Bubble series suggested that this team might be a competitive one in the East.
• 11/18/2020:  Miami drafted Precious Achiuwa with the 20^th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.  While they didn’t necessarily need a big like Achiuwa, he was a nice addition who was aggressive.
• 11/22/2020:  Miami signed Goran Dragic to a 2-year, $37.4M contract with a club option.  Ultimately, this was important because they picked up the option in order to include him in the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade.
• 11/28/2020:  Miami signed Bam Adebayo to a 5-year, $163M contract extension.  This move felt like a no-brainer at the time given Adebayo’s value to the team, especially on defense, and how well he played during the Bubble.  There also wasn’t a player option in the final year of the deal, which gave the organization an extra year than usual with these types of deals.
• 11/28/2020:  Jae Crowder signed a 3-year contract with Phoenix.  With Phoenix starting to become competitive and there being a clear role for him there, it made sense that he would have interest in going there.  That said, a player with Crowder’s skillset was sorely missed in Miami, as they could have benefited from the shooting and defense at the forward positions that he provided.
• 11/28/2020:  Miami resigns Udonis Haslem to a 1-year, minimum contract.  While it doesn’t make a massive contribution, one I find funny is that he wound up playing 1 game, where he played 3 minutes before being ejected, though he also caused Dwight Howard to pick up his 16^th technical foul.  That’s UD!
• 12/18/2020:  Miami signed Max Strus to a 2-way contract.  While Strus looked like a good shooter, he had previously signed two-way contracts with Boston (who waived him prior to the season) and Chicago.
• 3/25/2021:  Miami acquired Victor Oladipo from Houston in exchange for Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, and the rights to swap a 2022 2^nd round pick (which did not convey).  At that point, they were looking for an upgrade to Bradley and Olynyk wasn’t doing much, so taking a chance on Oladipo, a former All-NBA player who had struggled since returning from an injury, made sense.  Ultimately, he only played 4 games before being declared out for the remainder of the season.
• 8/6/2021:  Miami acquired Kyle Lowry from Toronto in a sign-and-trade on a 3-year, $85M deal in exchange for Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa.  While there was some praise at the time for Miami getting a championship guard who was playing well, I had reservations due to his age (he was 35 in his first year with the team), though he hadn’t shown too many signs of aging to that point.  While the contract has been a bit of a bust, he proved to be a beneficial backup point guard during their 2023 playoff run.
• 8/6/2021:  Miami signed Duncan Robinson to a 5-year, $90M deal.  The deal has been largely criticized and been difficult to trade due to Robinson’s struggles with his confidence, though it was on par with similar contracts signed by bigger forwards who could shoot well, including Davis Bertans and Joe Harris.  After Miami faced injuries, he rediscovered his shot in the 2023 playoffs and showcased newfound ability to handle the ball some and drive, adding an element that most teams wouldn’t have planned for.
• 8/6/2021:  Miami signed Max Strus to a 2-year minimum contract.  He was a solid bench role player while under a two-way contract who looked like a solid shooter at the time, but developed into a valuable shooting wing who could also hold his own defensively while starting under this contract.
• 8/6/2021:  Miami signed Gabe Vincent to a 2-year, minimum contract.  Under this contract, he developed into a solid guard whose jumper improved and showcased some playmaking, though was still more off ball.  He also improved defensively and showed that he is a solid bench guard and can start as well.
• 8/7/2021:  Miami signed Jimmy Butler to a 4-year, $184M extension.  He had proven to be the perfect fit for this team and led them to an NBA Finals appearance already, so extending him made sense, even if it would be a big contract later in his career.
• 8/7/2021:  Miami signed P.J. Tucker to a 2-year, $14M contract with a player option for the second year.  After losing Jae Crowder, Miami realized that they could use a strong shooting forward who could defend 4’s, which is why they went after Tucker.  He ended up being a massive piece for their Eastern Conference Finals run in 2022.
• 8/7/2021:  Miami resigned Victor Oladipo to a minimum contract.  It was viewed as a prove-it deal for Oladipo that also gave him the opportunity to retain Bird rights on his contract and be able to resign to a longer and bigger deal if it worked.  While he didn’t play much due to injury and struggled offensively, he did showcase some defensive ability in the playoffs.
• 8/15/2021:  Miami resigns Udonis Haslem to a 1-year, minimum contract.
• 9/14/2021:  Miami signed Caleb Martin to a two-way contract.  While I thought Caleb was the better of the Martin twins entering the 2019 Draft, Cody was the one who was drafted and played better in Charlotte, as Caleb dealt with inconsistencies with his jump shot.  Later that year, Miami converted his contract into a standard contract, which allowed him to play more down the stretch and play in the playoffs.
• 3/8/2022:  Miami signed Haywood Highsmith to a multi-year minimum contract after signing him to multiple 10-day contracts.  While he previously didn’t have much NBA experience (5 games with Philadelphia), he made sense with Miami given his aggressiveness, athleticism, and versatility.
• 7/6/2022:  P.J. Tucker signed a 3-year deal with Philadelphia after opting out of his contract.  Ultimately, he got more from Philly than what Miami was going to offer, so it made sense for him to sign with them.  That said, it was a tough blow during the regular season not having a replacement for Tucker.
• 7/6/2022:  Miami signed Caleb Martin to a 3-year, $20M contract.  While not a particularly large deal, it was considered surprising since there were questions about what his value would be at that amount.  After previous contracts where former undrafted players struggled upon signing a bigger deal with Miami, there were concerns about this deal.  That said, the deal wasn’t massive and was justified given his shot, confidence, and aggressiveness.
• 7/6/2022:  Miami resigned Victor Oladipo to a 2-year, $18.2M contract, with a player option in year 2.  While it was a strange contract to offer, it made sense in regard to trading him in a future deal.  While Oladipo again struggled offensively, he looked solid at points defensively.
• 8/23/2022:  Miami resigns Udonis Haslem to a 1-year, minimum contract.  He later announced that this year would be his last season.
• 10/2/2022:  Miami signed Tyler Herro to a 4-year, $120M extension.  Coming off a season where he was the Sixth Man of the Year, it wasn’t surprising to see them extend him.  While he is a nice scorer who is skilled with the ball in his hands, he is not a good defender and will always be a target on that end of the court.  Given Jordan Poole’s extension at around the same time, this amount wasn’t too shocking to see.
• 2/7/2023:  Miami traded Dwayne Dedmon and a 2^nd round pick to San Antonio in exchange for cash.  While Dedmon didn’t play a ton for Miami, he was a backup big who they could have used in the playoffs.  That said, he was ejected from a game for throwing a massage gun onto the court (which might be one of the greatest sentences I’ve ever uttered), so that probably played a role.
• 2/20/2023:  Miami signed Kevin Love for the remainder of the season after he was waived by Cleveland.  While there was confusion about why Cleveland cut Love, he made sense in Miami to give additional size, shoot some, and provide rebounding ability.
• 2/20/2023:  Miami signed Cody Zeller to a minimum deal for the remainder of the year.  After trading Dewayne Dedmon, Miami figured that they could use a backup big behind Bam Adebayo, and deemed Cody Zeller the best available at the price, as he had been released by Utah earlier this year.
• 4/16/2023:  Tyler Herro broke his hand in Game 1 of the first round.  While his offense could have provided value, some (including myself) have wondered if his absence helped them out in several matchups on the defensive end.
• 4/23/2023:  Victor Oladipo tore a patellar tendon in his left knee.  This made him out for the remainder of the season.  While it seemed like a tough blow to their depth, this opened the door for Duncan Robinson.

 

What do you think about how these teams built their rosters?  Let us know in the comments!