NBA Rumors: Miami Heat reportedly interested in New York Knicks' young big in free agency
NBA and Eastern Conference powerhouse the Miami Heat are reportedly in the market shopping for another big man this summer, despite having the likes of Bam Adebayo and Dewayne Dedmon on their roster.
According to Heavy's Sean Deveney, the South Beach franchise is looking at Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks as the big man is an unrestricted free agent in the summer. Deveney wrote:
"The Heat will have their full mid-level next year and would have eyes on him. [That] would be an interesting frontcourt with him and Bam Adebayo, a couple of shot-blockers there. Certainly, the Heat are a team to watch for Robinson. And anytime a big man comes up, Charlotte comes up almost like it is just a reaction. That would be interesting."
Deveney also wrote about how the Knicks aren't sure of taking on Robinson's new contract. He continued:
"It’s not a breaker of the bank necessarily, but it is a significant contract and it is one I’m not sure the Knicks really want to take on with Julius Randle’s extension kicking in."
Report: Miami Heat are a ‘team to watch’ for Mitchell Robinson in free agency heatnation.com/rumors/report-…
Do the Miami Heat need another big?
With Pat Riley at the helm and Erik Spoelstra as the head coach, the Miami Heat have two of the smartest men in the NBA as part of their organization. They've built and rebuilt this franchise over the last decade or so and the decision lies with them.
However, going after Mitchell Robinson is an interesting proposition as the Heat already have Bam Adebayo and Dewayne Dedmon as their centers, with the former being one of the premier big men in the game at the moment.
Robinson isn't a slouch by any means as the Knicks center is averaging 8.4 points and 8.7 rebounds for the franchise from The Big Apple while shooting over 76% from the field. He is one of the best shot blockers in the game at the moment as he is averaging 1.7 blocks this season and averaged 2.4 and two blocks in his first two seasons in the league.
Mitchell Robinson FILLED the stat sheet grabbing 21 boards and adding 19 points to land at the top of our leaderboards, making him the #NBAFantasy Player of the Night!
19 PTS | 21 REB | 2 STL | 3 BLK https://t.co/Hhb9ZHs5Yt
However, Robinson doesn't possess a threat from the perimeter and that could be a problem for the Heat when it comes down to spacing on the floor, with Bam Adebayo also not carrying a threat from beyond the arc.
Miami have missed the presence of their big man in Adebayo this season and have spent a significant period on the sidelines due to a thumb injury. Robinson could be an excellent addition to the team's rotation and would bring fresh, young legs to this roster. It'll be interesting to see if other teams will also be interested in the young big if the Knicks decide not to bring him back for next season.