The Heat are expected to be among the teams with interest in free agent forward Jerami Grant this offseason, says Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. If Miami operates as an over-the-cap team, landing Grant would be tricky, since he’s expected to receive offers worth more than the mid-level exception.
Grant could be a more viable option for the Heat if the team loses some of its top free agents and has the opportunity to open up cap space. Even if Miami remains over the cap, we saw a year ago with the acquisition of Jimmy Butler that the front office is willing to get creative with sign-and-trades when cap room is unavailable.
However, Grant will almost certainly require a long-term investment, so presumably he’d only become a realistic target for the Heat if the club decides it no longer needs to preserve max-salary space for 2021.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- The Heat requested a Zoom interview with former Maryland forward Jalen Smith, Jackson reports in the same Miami Herald story. Smith is currently the No. 20 prospect on ESPN’s big board, while the Heat hold the No. 20 overall pick in this year’s draft.
- Several aspects of the Heat offseason will be out of the team’s control, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel, who writes that the team will have to adjust to the new salary cap projection, wait to see if free agents like Goran Dragic and Jae Crowder get aggressive multiyear offers from rival suitors, and potentially modify their plans for both 2020 and 2021 if Giannis Antetokounmpo signs an extension with Milwaukee.
- Miami assistants Dan Craig and Chris Quinn reportedly had strong interviews with Indiana, but the Pacers went in another direction, hiring Nate Bjorkgren as their new head coach. That’s good news for the Heat, who should retain Craig and Quinn for 2020/21.
Yesterday Heat are interested in Bogdan Bogdanovic
It’s a good idea to add Grant too
Knicks please speak up
Why would the Knicks speak up please? Grant will be looking for a competitive situation, and the only way the Knicks land Bogo is if they overpay. Some players are worth considering the overpay route, but he is not one of them.
If Riley doesnt return his vets, extend Bam, and get one or two preferable vets in this offseason that has limited competitors—and forgo 2021 capspace for Giannis— he will wish he had.
JGrant plays defense, Gallo can score in the offense, Bertans, Bogans, FVV… but it doesn’t have to be a FA, after all he Heat have capspace.
The Heat are hot now— beat Boston, beat Indy, MIL should retool. Giving up that momentum for a prayer of getting Giannis, who is not much better than Bam, is a pointless risk. Giannis can start a drive from the other court, but that is not a crucial skill. Bam could do nearly the same starting from the foul line with a guard dribbling up like their job is.
Couldn’t agree more
Yes, the HEAT does have some momentum going – the one great thing the bubble did, the development of the young guns, went into hyperdrive.
But ultimately, superstar talent is what wins ……… Lebron, AD and 3 regular fellas/scrubs will be favored in any Finals.
The HEAT need that 2nd superstar FA. This coming season, Riley will again toe that fine line between competing and having enough flexibility to land a whale in 2021.
If they get a meeting with Giannis in 2021, then go for it. If they whiff, there’s a few more FA’s available next offseason.
The one good thing going for the HEAT, they have Spo to clean-up any mismatch in skill. If they do land Giannis, Spo and staff will show him his best spots …….. going downhill from the back-court wont cut it against elite defenses and takes it toll on Giannis, with all that quick twitch and lateral movement.
Spo and staff will show him the more efficient way to play.
But they have to wait a year for Giannis, at best. Then they have like a 5% chance of luring him away. Not worth it.
The one good thing going for MIA isn’t Spo is South Beach, that is what would lure any FA!