The Miami Heat have been linked with a series of moves recently, including a trade for Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell, but the buzz around these two has gone quiet in recent days. The Floridians are reportedly ready to run it back with their current roster, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t make a surprise move before the start of the season.
One NBA executive recently claimed that the team is interested in a veteran forward, even explaining that the Heat would need to part ways with Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson to acquire Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets.
It’s hard to see Miami giving up these two players, but for this executive, that’s the way to proceed to complete the move.
“I think a guy they will keep an eye on is Gordon Hayward,” the NBA executive told Heavy’s Sean Deveney.
“Charlotte’s in a tough position with the [Miles] Bridges thing, they have [Steve] Clifford coming in, they’re in a position to rest things a little bit around LaMelo Ball. Hayward has two years left.
“If you want to give up [Tyler] Herro before you pay him and you want to move [Duncan] Robinson, you would have to add a pick, but those two guys and Omer [Yurtseven], that might be enough to get Hayward if the Hornets decide to reconfigure. It’s a short-term move for Miami, but they need to make their move now. You can play him at the 3 and go big or go small at the 4. He’s a guy they’ve had interest in before.”
The Heat have been looking for another star to pair with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, and after Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell, Hayward is the last name to be on the team’s radar. The player has had decent performances on the Hornets, but he hasn’t been the same as he was in Utah. His stints in Boston and Charlotte have been very inconsistent, and it’s unclear if changing teams again would help him bounce back.
