Pat Riley and the Miami Heat are leading the charge in the race for several big-name players. But if those pursuits fail, the Heat have other options on the table.
One such option could be to bring in veteran swingman Jae Crowder, who is the type of 3-and-D guy that every team needs.
In an article, the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson dropped the latest details.
“The Heat would be open to a trade involving Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder, according to two sources, but salary cap rules make a deal difficult at this time.”
Crowder was first named as a potential target for Miami way back in June — before free agency even opened. Besides what he provides on the court, his mindset and approach to the game were a great fit in their system, and it’s no wonder why they want to bring him back.
With PJ Tucker in Philadelphia now, the Heat are in need of some frontcourt depth.
Should the Heat lose out on Tucker, the team, according to an NBA source, is considering either a trade for former Heat power forward Jae Crowder, who is entering the final year of a contract that pays $10.2 million next season with the Phoenix Suns. or a possible free-agent move for Indiana Pacers forward TJ Warren (Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel).
Those, however, would only be fallback positions if current Heat teammates are unable to convince Tucker to stay.
Miami finished first in the East last season and made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals before being knocked off by the Celtics.
While their main focus continues to be on trading for KD or Donovan Mitchell, they could still compete for a title if they land a guy like Crowder or another veteran wing player this summer.
Either way, they will be a team to fear in the Eastern Conference.