The trade deadline has passed and the Miami Heat did not fill their most glaring hole which is perimeter shooting. It seemed, at one point, that they did add an outside shooter in Brian Roberts but they turned around and traded him away to the Blazers. The Heat were more concerned about getting under the luxury tax than improving their team this trade deadline but they were at least able to achieve their goal. Still though, the Heat hope to be a playoff team with the potential to make some noise but they need perimeter help. Dwyane Wade is expected to court Joe Johnson should he agree to a buyout with the Brooklyn Nets, according to Ethan J. Skolnick of the Miami Herald.
Wade and Johnson are reportedly good friends and the expectation is that Wade will pitch Miami to Johnson if a buyout is agreed upon. The Heat may have lost Tyler Johnson for the rest of the season and Chris Bosh's future is uncertain and those are their two best three-point shooters. Johnson and Bosh will miss an undisclosed amount of time so the Heat seriously need some shooting help which Joe Johnson can provide.
Wade won't be able to pitch Johnson though, if he does not agree to a buyout with the Nets. It is far from a certainty that Johnson gets bought out by the Nets and as of Tuesday they had not even discussed it, according to Marc Stein of ESPN. Johnson is making nearly $25 million this year which is the last on his contract so many people expected he would seek a buyout so that he can join a contender for a playoff run. Johnson has not been eager to seek a buyout though and there are a couple of reasons being speculated.
The first reason is that Johnson wants to collect every cent of his salary this year. If Johnson were to agree to a buyout he would take less money so that he could go play elsewhere. Another reason is that Johnson wants to remain in Brooklyn and sign another multi-year deal with the Nets for beyond this season, according to Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York.
Some might find it strange that Johnson may want to stay with the Nets, not only for this season but also in the future, considering the massive rebuild they are expected to undergo. Johnson can change his mind and still agree to a buyout before March 1 but he seems to like it in Brooklyn and it seems likely he will remain there. That is a shame for contending teams because he could really help someone like the Heat with his 37 percent shooting clip from long-range this season.
