by Alejandro Fernandez
Prior to the NBA trade deadline, The Miami Heat made a trade with the Charlotte Hornets that sent Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat in exchange for Kyle Lowry and a 2027 1st round pick.
Despite this move, the Heat were still lacking another piece to put them over the top.
While being active on the buyout market, the Miami Heat chose to pick up Delon Wright, 6’5 shooting guard who was released by the Washington Wizards. Delon Wright serves as a valuable role player and much-needed depth piece that scores the three-pointer at the high level of 36%.
In recent years, the Miami Heat have struggled to stay healthy, especially in the playoffs. Delon Wright, the younger brother of previous Heat player Dorell Wright, fits the Heat culture by having a good presence on the defensive end.
To add Wright comes at the perfect time, as the Heat are lacking depth at the guard position. Currently, Josh Richardson has dislocated his right soldier and will be out for a few weeks.
Also, Terry Rozier has just returned after missing the past couple of games with a knee injury he suffered against the Celtics before the All-Star break. Tyler Herro also injured his knee in a recent game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
On top of all the injuries, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jovic and Thomas Bryant have been suspended due to the altercations against the New Orleans Pelicans. Therefore, this opened up a spot for Delon Wright to make his Heat debut in the starting lineup against the Sacramento Kings.
This will be a new opportunity for Delon Wright to play for his new team and help fill the void to keep the Heat on track for the playoffs while the team is struggling with injuries. In his debut, Delon Wright played for 35 minutes with 13 points and 5 assists in a Heat shorthanded victory. He also shot 50% from 3 and had a valuable defensive presence with Erik Spoelstra even calling him the “Player of the Game.”
The veteran point guard is set to continue getting minutes due to lack of guard depth and can maybe carve a role for him to keep for the playoffs. The pickup was great for the Heat to continue winning now, but it will be more important come playoff time.