The Miami Heat have reportedly Agreed terms A Former Blazers Deandre Ayton on a $55.8 Million of 3-year, Adding Some Potential…

The Miami Heat have been given what appears to be a gift by the NBA schedule compilers.

Miami (39-33) will play the Portland Trail Blazers, who have lost eight straight games, on Friday night. Portland (19–54) has the league’s fifth-worst record.

The Heat, who could use an easy victory, appear to be in for a layup. The Heat have dropped out of the top six Eastern Conference playoff spots, at least temporarily, as a result of Miami’s poor performance in its last 11 games, which has seen them go only 4-7.

With their current ranking of seventh, Miami puts the Heat in position to advance to the play-in round.

The Heat lost to the Golden State Warriors at home on Tuesday, 113–92.

Regarding Miami’s effort at a comeback, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra stated, “We never got it to a’moment of truth.'”

Due to a sickness, Jimmy Butler—the Heat’s top player—was not available. In terms of scoring (21.4) and steals (1.4), Butler tops the Heat. He also averages a team-high 7.9 trips to the foul line per game, and his propensity to score late in games is a major factor in many Heat victories.

Bam Adebayo, who averages 19.7 points and a team-high 10.6 rebounds, is Miami’s other active standout.

Despite the Heat’s recent struggles, the Trail Blazers—who on Saturday started five rookies and lost 114-111 to the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets—will not be sympathetic to them.

This was only the second all-rookie group since the NBA began keeping track of starting lineups 52 years ago; the first was Golden State in 2012.

After that, on Monday against the Houston Rockets, the Trail Blazers created even more history by starting an all-rookie lineup for the second time in a season, making history as the first club to do so.

Scoot Henderson, Duop Reath, Kris Murray, Toumani Camara, and Rayan Rupert are Portland’s five rookie starters. They started the team’s first lineup for the third time on Wednesday in a 120-106 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.