NBA Rumors: Heat Could Get Aaron Gordon For Duncan Robinson & Kelly Olynyk
A recent list of trade ideas for all 30 NBA teams suggested that the Miami Heat could fill the void left by Jae Crowder — who recently agreed to sign with the Phoenix Suns — by trading for Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic, a player who has been mentioned in multiple hypothetical trades since the start of the year.
On Wednesday, Bleacher Report noted that Gordon is a player who “simply fits the Heat culture,” considering his versatility on both ends of the floor and willingness to pass the ball. The publication stressed that the Magic might find it best to move the former No. 4 overall draft pick, as the team has a logjam at the power forward position with veteran Al-Farouq Aminu, debuting 2019 first-round pick Chuma Okeke, and youngster Jonathan Isaac — who missed much of the 2019-20 campaign due to injuries — also sharing minutes.
According to the outlet, the proposed deal would involve Gordon heading to Miami in exchange for sharp-shooting wingman Duncan Robinson and experienced big man Kelly Olynyk. This transaction, as noted, could have Gordon replacing Crowder at power forward after a season where he produced 14.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists for the Magic. His numbers, however, have mostly been on a steady decline since he enjoyed a breakout year in 2017-18, as shown on his Basketball-Reference page.
Talking about how the move could benefit Orlando, Bleacher Report explained that Robinson, who averaged 13.5 points and converted 44.6 percent of his three-point attempts in 2019-20, could provide some much-needed spacing and outside shooting. The site added that this could be especially true now that first-round pick Cole Anthony will be joining Markelle Fultz as another “poor” shooter in line for significant minutes in the coming 2020-21 campaign.
In a season where he mostly came off the bench for the Heat, Olynyk averaged 8.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists and shot 46.2 percent from the field in 2019-20, according to his Basketball-Reference player page. He also shot an impressive 40.6 percent from beyond the arc, and as Bleacher Report speculated, he could fill in for Isaac at center and power forward while the former Florida Gators star recovers from his injury.
While many of the earlier trade rumors surrounding Gordon had linked him to teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, recent weeks have seen his name pop up as a potential target for various other organizations. Earlier this month, it was suggested that the Houston Rockets could ship its allegedly disgruntled superstar point guard, Russell Westbrook, to the Magic in exchange for Gordon and Evan Fournier.
