This is an interesting development for the Miami Heat... NEW offseason target

Now, this is a very interesting development for the Miami Heat, as they continue to look to bolster this lineup around Giannis and Bam Adebayo this offseason, and now, could we see a different form of return if LeBron James doesn't return to Miami? I'm here to break down the Gabe Vincent conversation, and whether or not he would be a reasonable and realistic option for this Heat team, and really, what it would take to go out and acquire him, would he be a good fit, and can he come back to Miami if LeBron does as well? I'm here to break down all of that on this episode of Heat Digest, so let's not waste any time and get right to the news, breaking down the Gabe Vincent conversation. We all know him, we all loved him in his tenure in Miami for obvious reasons, as he was an absolute monster in the playoffs, in the moments that we needed him absolute most. And no, he wasn't the biggest name star, and he wasn't the guy all of the defending teams would come in and assume, hey, we gotta take that guy away, and that was the problem, because he would then come in and be an absolute, just a nuisance to these teams. He was causing mismatches on the defensive end, he was getting to his shot, to his spot, he was able to score in bunches, and produce a level of scoring and effectiveness and efficiency for this Heat team that was really unexpected, and ended up being a huge catalyst to their success in the playoffs. And yes, it was fun, it was dandy, but we've brought up his name in the past few weeks on this channel when discussing other names like DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal, and various others, and it feels like down in the comments a lot of you guys are against the idea, or would at least rather see the Heat go in a different direction, rather than another form of reunion, and with this time with Gabe Vincent. And honestly, I agree with you guys, I think there are better options than Gabe Vincent, I think it would be, yes, you're looking for a complementary piece, someone that's not going to be a star in Miami, but a backup guard, preferably a point or shooting guard, that could come in and really be a complementary guy. That doesn't have to be a 6th or 7th man off the bench, but someone who is a bench piece that can come in and give you good minutes and have a scoring threat to them, but also the ability to handle and facilitate the basketball at a decently high level. Now, you're not looking for a crisp ball off the bench, but you are looking for someone that does maintain the ability to handle and facilitate when need be, but also at a level of scoring, and preferably 3 point shooting that would be along the lines of a marksman. So where did this conversation really come from? We got this article from Robbie Calland, and he goes on the title, LeBron James free agency, what is plan B for teams that miss out on signing LeBron James, and you get to it, and there's a lot of interesting pieces. Now before we get to that, we do have to thank our sponsor, Otis Edge. As emotion loses, data wins, and that's why we use Otis Edge Analytics, where passion meets data. Their team of 30 year Vegas pros and next gen analysts delivers daily expert picks across your favorite leagues, powered by real numbers, not hunches. Take a smarter approach this season and build your bankroll the smart way. Download this Otis Edge app today and see why their quick growing community is getting ahead of the game, because that's the Otis Edge. You can download it in the app store or on Google Play if you're a Samsung guy or person. So again, use it, Otis Edge, your edge starts here. It's the best. But now let's get back to it and break down these quotes from Robbie Calland in that article we just mentioned. As he goes on to say, the Heat are going to be desperate for shooting. They already have been since the Antetokounmpo signing. There's been the number one thing on the checklist outside of LeBron James. Shooting, shooting, shooting, shooting. He goes on to say, no matter what James does, but if they miss out on him, they could offer a portion of the mid-level rather than simply filling out their roster with minimums. What does this mean? If LeBron James lands in Miami, how are the Heat going to pay him? Is he going to take a veteran minimum? Probably not. Are they going to offer him the full of the mid-level exception, which I assume is eight million, seven and a half to eight million bucks? More than likely because what are the odds LeBron signs for a discount at that, but then a veteran minimum? I doubt it. Is it a possibility? Yes, but more than likely it is going to be the mid-level exception that is given to LeBron James or at least presented to him if he does choose Miami as his destination this offseason. So then Robbie would continue by going on to say this. When Bradley Beal declined his player option with the Los Angeles Clippers, the immediate assumption of many was that he'd end up in Miami where he has a long rumor to be a trade target with mutual interest. Perhaps Gabe Vinson would return to the Heat on a team-friendly deal to try to revitalize his career. Now Bradley Beal or Gabe Vinson, I think I'm leaning Bradley Beal, Beal has been dealing with a lot of substantial injuries, not just walk in the parks, oh, he has a sprained finger or it's nothing like that. Like he's dealing with a, he's coming back from a major hip injury, which was substantial, but you also have guys like DeMar DeRozan, granted he's not the three point shooter Gabe Vinson or Bradley Beal is, but again, there are other options that aren't as big of a name that you could probably get for minimum contracts if you allow more time to pass and more teams continue to pass up on those options because that's just the way off the offseason and free agency works. Now, who is Gabe Vinson? What, who, what could he bring to this team? We remember what his tenure looked like in his first four years of his NBA career in Miami. Now, the numbers aren't going to jump off the page at you, and again, these are regular season numbers, but if we jumped to the playoffs, things got really good, especially in 2023. It was 13 points per game, but there was moments where he gave you 18 to 20, there's like legitimately and he was a marksman from behind the three point line. You see that percentage in 2022, 2023, where he did average nearly 13 points a game in the playoffs, shooting nearly 38% from the field on six attempts per game. If you go back to the regular season stats for Gabe Vinson in the last few years, the numbers have really, really, really regressed. Like last year with the Atlanta Hawks, only played in 24 games, didn't start any of them, played less than 14 minutes a game, he gave you four points. Granted, there's not a lot of playing opportunity in the sense of games played or minutes played per game, but again, that's for a reason. The Hawks had a lot of depth, Vinson did not find himself producing at a level where he could really be utilized in that organization or on that team, and the numbers went down ridiculously. The year prior to that, with the Lakers, the final year with the Los Angeles Lakers for Gabe Vinson, five points per game, less than five points per game, again, only playing in 29 games, starting in seven of them, but the minutes were up compared to his tenure in Atlanta, just less than 20 minutes per game. Look at the three point percentages though. 30% in Atlanta, again, small sample size, only shooting about three per game. If you look at his tenure in Los Angeles that final year we just acknowledged, he's looking at three and a half three point shots per game, and he's shooting just under 35%. The ability to shoot the three point shot is still very much there, but is he still considered an absolute marksman? Not necessarily. Now, the contract. He wouldn't get anything relatively close to this number if he were to sign with Miami or assuming any other team in the association based off how he's played over the last few years, but he's coming off a three year, $33 million deal that he signed back in Los Angeles that's carried over to his final year in Atlanta. We're all expecting a minimum contract for Gabe Vinson if he is someone that has actually gone out and acquired, and this isn't the first time we've heard his name in connections. Again, we mentioned it in a briefing just weeks ago in passing, but again, Jake Fischer back on, this was July 14th, the most recent one, and then we have another one from Jake Fischer. Gabe Vinson is still linked to the Miami Heat and there's some interest from his side per Jake Fischer. BAM is reportedly open to reuniting with Gabe, and then on June 30th, again, from Jake Fischer and the Steinlein, Miami Heat are interested in bringing back Gabe Vinson per Steinlein and Jake Fischer. More Heat targets here, and it goes on the tag a bunch that we've already broken down on this channel, and again, DeRozan, Bradley Beal, Anthony Simons at the time that this post was actually made, Gabe Vinson. There's a lot of credible guys that have been in connections to this Heat team. Whether or not they go out there and actually sign anybody before the LeBron James decision is actually made, I highly doubt, because they want to make sure they're in a position where they understand what they're getting and what they're trying to add to, and again, it's going to change a lot of the conversation if LeBron does land in Miami, because the conversation does shift from Bradley Beal and Demar DeRozan and possibly Gabe Vinson to someone along the lines of a Klay Thompson, and possibly a trade to open up more roster room and cap room to get that trade done. Again, there's a lot of moving parts. We have to wait for LeBron to actually make that decision before any of these moves are attempted or even made, involving any of the names we included in this video, especially Gabe Vinson. Let me know down below, what are your thoughts and opinions on Gabe Vinson, and do you think he would be a good fit in this Heat organization as currently constructed, and I will see you guys on the next episode of Heat Digest. Thank you guys for watching.