The Miami Heat finally reeled in Klay Thompson this weekend, securing a major offensive boost after patiently waiting for his Dallas Mavericks situation to clear up. With Thompson joining the squad, Miami’s offense should totally open up for the upcoming season. But here’s the kicker: in the process of landing Thompson, the Heat also lost veteran DeMar DeRozan to the Denver Nuggets in a move that blindsided a lot of us.
DeRozan’s Miami Connection Was Super Strong
This DeRozan exit is a wild one, especially since he’d been talking with Miami all summer long. For ages, South Beach was pretty much pegged as his most likely landing spot. Jake Fischer from The Stein Line even said, “Miami Heat have been a Derozan landing spot for years now, there’s been so much connectivity between him and the Heat and I do think the Heat seem to be the most likely scenario for DeMar DeRozan right now…Miami is probably his best bet…those other spots really don’t have spending power.” It sounded like a done deal, right? DeRozan, who’s pulled in a massive $305 million over his career, seemed destined for Miami, especially with other teams strapped for cash.
Adebayo Was Talking to DeRozan All Summer!
Then the real bombshell dropped: ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Bam Adebayo himself had been in contact with DeRozan throughout the entire summer. Seriously! There was “mutual interest” between DeRozan and the Heat, and those talks between Adebayo and DeRozan were happening behind the scenes. This just proves how serious Miami was about DeRozan. You gotta wonder if Adebayo was picturing himself playing alongside DeRozan. But in the end, the Heat made Klay Thompson their top priority, sealing the deal once he clears waivers after a buyout with the Mavericks. It looks like they really valued Thompson’s elite shooting and floor spacing more, giving the roster a completely different vibe heading into the season. DeRozan, meanwhile, landed a one-year deal at the veteran’s minimum with Denver, per Shams Charania, stepping right into the void left by Peyton Watson in their wing rotation. What a whirlwind.
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Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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