The Miami Heat shocked the world last season, beating the Bucks and Celtics to advance to the NBA Finals. Though they got beaten in the final stage of the competition, there was hope entering the 2021 season that the Heat would get better and build upon their experience from a year ago.
So far, that hasn’t been the case. Due to injuries, underperformance, and a host of other things, Miami has fallen way short of their goals, and sit just 14-17 on the season.
No doubt, their front-office man, Pat Riley, is already looking for ways to improve his team, and reports indicate they have at least five potential targets in mind ahead of the trade deadline.
“The league source said Cousins — who is expected to clear waivers at 5 p.m. Thursday — is one of a handful of players that the Heat internally has discussed and been considering, a group that also includes San Antonio’s Rudy Gay (if he’s made available in a trade), Sacramento’s Nemanja Bjelica (said to be available), Houston’s P.J. Tucker (said to be available) and Detroit’s Blake Griffin (but only if he’s released),” the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson wrote.
Report: Miami Heat 'internally has discussed' DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, Nemanja Bjelica, P.J. Tucker and Blake Griffin https://t.co/YuDl8FRaw0
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 25, 2021
Whether it’s Cousins, Gay, Bjelica, Tucker, or Griffin, it’s clear Miami is considering all sorts of players to bring in.
For Cousins and Griffin, their best days are behind them, but their ability to score is still there, and that service will help relieve some pressure from Bam and Butler.
Gay and Bjelica are pure shooters who would only add to an already loaded arsenal of offensive weapons.
Finally, with Tucker, the Heat get a 3-and-D player with guts and bravado, a combination that probably makes him the best-suited player out of all the ones listed.
Regardless of who the Heta pick, though, they will have a number of issues to work out before they can reach the Finals again. Most importantly of all will be getting everyone on the same page and re-discovering that spark they carried so proudly last year.
