NBA Rumors: Miami Heat looking to upgrade at power forward position
Recent rumors regarding the Miami Heat have suggested that the team are attempting to upgrade their roster strength, specifically at power forward. With Yahoo! Sports' Jake Fischer shedding light on the matter, we take a look at realistic options for Miami to address the problems in their frontcourt.
The Heat have been involved in several rumors over the course of the season. The interesting thing to note, however, is that these rumors have primarily linked the team with players in the frontcourt.
With Duncan Robinson being put up for trade along with some other assets such as Caleb Martin, the Heat have actively made an effort to pursue power forwards.
This is intriguing to note because Miami have played a large part this season with an undersized roster. With Martin currently playing at 4, the Heat have had some degree of success. But they are certainly not where they want to be.
In this regard, a recent report by Yahoo! Sports' Jake Fischer highlighted Miami's need for a solid power forward. In an episode of the "Locked on Heat" podcast, Fischer spoke about the Heat's pursuit for a forward. He said:
"The power forward position has clearly been one that Miami is at least engaged in conversations, let’s say, to try to upgrade on. I don’t really see a ton of options on the board,” Jake Fischer said on the pod.
Fischer also made some interesting suggestions when considering a trade for a power forward. While several players have been mentioned earlier, Fischer included Utah Jazz forward Jarred Vanderbilt in the mix.
Vanderbilt, who was traded to the Jazz as part of a deal to see Rudy Gobert go to Minnesota, is a very solid player. As a great rebounder and defender, he could add value to Miami's rotation. However, Fischer also added that he doesn't see the deal having a lot of impact.
As the situation stands, the Heat have their eyes set on several targets. However, facilitating a trade for them appears to be quite a challenge.
The Miami Heat's struggles in working out a trade
The Miami Heat have been involved in trade rumors for a large part of the season. Most of these trades have seen Duncan Robinson included as a central figure. However, this is potentially the reason why none of the trades have worked out.
Robinson has been included in almost every deal for Miami. Considering his contract price and his underwhelming performances on the court, not a lot of teams have shown an interest in him.
This has been a large part of why the Miami Heat haven't been able to trade for Jae Crowder, who they have had an eye on for a while.
There were rumors that saw Miami linked in talks for John Collins as well. Collins is a solid power forward with enough upside to tempt the Heat to make a move. Additionally, Robinson could also thrive in a new system like Atlanta, especially considering his role.
However, internal doubts regarding Collins' fit next to Miami Heat superstar Bam Adebayo continue to get in the way of facilitating a trade.
Read: NBA Rumors: Miami Heat have had initial discussions over a possible trade for sharpshooter with Dallas Mavericks