How this benefits the Heat:
While Miami has remained relevant due to their scrappy and talented roster and smart coach in Erik Spoelstra, they’ve been faltering recently. 23 games into the season and the Heat find themselves at 9-14. With an aggressive owner like Pat Riley who’d likely want more proven talent on his roster, McCollum and a first-round pick may get the job done for guys like Richardson and Olynyk.
Rewind a couple months ago, and a Jimmy Butler for Richardson and Olynyk deal seemed close to becoming reality – until reports surfaced that the Minnesota Timberwolves were asking for more in the twilight of trade negotiations.
Granted, McCollum is not the same type of talent that Butler is, but he is also more than two years younger and has always been alongside Lillard – a duo that may be redundant and prohibiting McCollum from revealing all he could do as a first-option scorer.
For taking the chance on McCollum to fill into this role, the Heat also gain some insurance with a first-round pick from Portland. While this would likely be out of the lottery, first-round talent from anywhere in the draft has the potential to blossom into a solid rotational player.