NBA Rumors: Miami Heat zero in on Grant Williams to solve power forward problem
Recent NBA rumors have linked the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics to a potential trade situation. With Grant Williams being the asset in question, Heat insider Greg Sylvander proposed the potential trade.
The Heat are coming off a tight OT win against the Celtics. With a 120-116 win that saw Miami star Jimmy Butler put Boston to rest, the Heat notched a much-needed win.
Although Miami have been title contenders for the last few seasons, they haven't had the most comfortable start to their 2022-23 campaign. With an 11-12 record, the Heat could certainly work on getting better.
Miami have already been the primary team in many trade rumors this season. With a primary need for a solid veteran power forward, the Heat have been linked with teams such as the Phoenix Suns as well.
With players such as Jae Crowder and Kyle Kuzma on their radar, Miami are clearly looking to fill the hole in the power forward position. With PJ Tucker headed to Philadelphia, the Heat were forced to play Caleb Martin at the 4.
While Martin has done a solid job thus far, the Miami Heat are in need of a more competent power forward. They have a great young talent in Nikola Jovic, however, the youngster is a ways away from being reliable.
In this regard, Heat insider Greg Sylvander recently mentioned the name of a veteran who Miami could target in a trade situation. He spoke about this briefly on the "Five On The Floor" postgame show.
Sylvander started by speaking about Miami's current situation. With a string of big games coming up, the Miami Heat are in a solid position to rack up a few wins as a lot of their opponents are on a downward spiral.
In this regard, Sylvander suggested an interesting trade target. He said:
(from 1:46-2:05)
"There's some games in December that they can get. They could finish the new year all of a sudden in the sixth-seed or something like that. Then you start to look around the league and try to find the right piece. Someone that would fit perfectly.
"And I have to say, I watched tonight, don't you guys feel like Grant Williams would be a really good fit on this team?"
If you missed it from last night’s @5OTF_ postgame show, there’s a name on the Heat’s trade radar.
Stay til the end: https://t.co/3M0ZoN4ssa
Sylvander was cut off before he could add more input on the matter. However, the notion itself presents an interesting trade scenario. With Williams also fitting the image of Miami's playing style, the Heat could realistically make a push to acquire the Celtics forward.
With optimism to finish the calendar year as a top-six team in the league, the Miami Heat could then begin the process of bolstering their roster for the playoffs.
The Miami Heat need not pursue Grant Williams
The notion of the Miami Heat pursuing Grant Williams does present an interesting scenario. However, it does very little to truly solve Miami's issues.
Williams has established himself as a solid 3&D player for the Boston Celtics. As an integral member of the roster, he has done a great job of contributing to the team's efforts.
Read: Report: Grant Williams is unlikely to receive contract extension from Boston Celtics
Grant Williams has been shooting a career-best 45.8% from three-point range. However, he only attempts 3.8 shots per game, so this statistic is also slightly misleading. Additionally, he has also come up short on the defensive side of the ball as his rating has fallen.
Certain rumors have suggested that some teams are interested in pursuing the young Boston forward as well. While the forward fits Miami's identity as a team, he may not bring as much to the table as the team requires.
In this regard, the team's pursuit of Jae Crowder may remain a more fruitful venture.