Heat Championship Odds Now +1600 After Acquiring Andre Iguodala & Jae Crowder from Grizzlies

• The Miami Heat have reportedly acquired Andre Iguodala & Jae Crowder from the Memphis Grizzlies
• They were also reportedly in the running for Danilo Gallinari from OKC, before talks broke down prior to Thursday’s deadline
• Miami is now at +1600 to win the NBA Championship with their new additions

The Miami Heat have reportedly made an important move ahead of the trade deadline to bolster their roster ahead of the playoffs by acquiring Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters and James Johnson (who has reportedly been sent to Minnesota for Gorgui Dieng).

There had also been reports that they were trying to trade for Oklahoma City Thunder wing Danilo Gallinari, but those talks did not result in a deal ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.

Miami’s NBA Championship odds now sit at +1600, but are these additions enough to make them a legitimate threat?

2020 NBA Championship Odds

Odds taken February 6th

Iguodala is the Major Addition

Over the past week, we heard a lot of Iguodala news as many of his Memphis Grizzlies teammates publicly displayed their displeasure with the fact that he wouldn’t even report to the team. On Thursday morning the Grizzlies shipped him off to the Heat in exchange for a package that includes Justise Winslow, James Johnson and Dion Waiters.

Iguodala is 36 years old and hasn’t played since last year. The Golden State Warriors moved him in the offseason and he had no interest in showing up to play with the Grizzlies. He has reportedly signed a two-year, $30 million extension with the Heat, so it looks like he’s not only interested in playing for the Heat but he should be quite motivated.

The Heat Way

The Heat have been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA this season as they are currently 34-16 and are fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. While many experts thought they’d improve after acquiring Jimmy Butler in the offseason, few people saw this type of a turnaround.

A number of rookies like Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson are performing at extremely high levels (each scoring at least 12.2 points per game) and Butler has been a perfect addition to the roster.

The issue is that this team lacks a lot of experience – especially playoff experience – and Iguodala can bring that to the roster. He knows how to prepare for the playoffs, lead when necessary and show the youngsters the way. That could prove invaluable.

The question is what does he have left in the tank? Iguodala averaged just 5.7 points per game with 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists last year. Of course, not much was asked of him on the Warriors dynasty teams but this is a concern. The hope is that he can at least provide quality defense and leadership but it might not be much more than that.

Are They Worth a Bet?

The Heat are being aggressive and they’re going for it. That should energize a team that’s been stumbling in recent weeks. They started 27-10 but are just 7-6 over their last 13 games. At the same time, this move alone doesn’t move the needle enough for me.

Miami was rumored to be in the running for Danilo Gallinari but nothing materialized. If there had been a move it could’ve made them a sexy underdog pick, but I wouldn’t bet them to win it all as I don’t see anyone from the East beating the Los Angeles Lakers or Clippers in the Finals.