NBA Rumors: Miami Heat focused on Giannis – or Victor Oladipo – in 2021
NBA Rumors: The Miami Heat are determined to sign one of Giannis Antetokounmpo or Victor Oladipo during the summer of 2021
Just a few months ago, the Miami Heat were seen as somewhat of an afterthought. They didn’t have any particularly great young players on their roster and their draft picks didn’t hold much value – considering they were good enough to make a push for the playoffs, but not bad enough to secure a top 8 pick in the NBA Draft.
In short, they were in basketball purgatory in a sense.
However, the front office changed all that in a matter of weeks. First, the Heat, without any cap space, managed to sign-and-trade from Jimmy Butler. While it did cost them Josh Richardson, it’s the cost of doing business.
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Butler was the first of many dominos that would begin to fall for the Heat as they began to turn the franchise around. The next was the superb play of Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn in summer league, which has thankfully translated to regular-season success. Herro and Nunn have been two key cogs for the team this season, and are a huge part of Miami’s 13-5 start to the year.
Another big development for the Heat was the breakout of Bam Adebayo. Bam, who was always one of their most gifted athletes is finally blossoming into the player that the front office thought he’d be coming out of college.
So far this season, Bam, perhaps en route to his first NBA All-Star appearance, is averaging 14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per game. He’s also been the team’s best and most versatile player on the defensive end.
From NBA purgatory to perhaps a dark horse in the Eastern Conference, in a matter of just a few months, the Miami Heat have transformed into a respected franchise again. And now that they’ve somewhat repaired that reputation, it appears that they’re preparing to be a factor in the free agency market again – something that they really haven’t been since 2010.
According to a report from the Miami Herald, the Heat’s master plan is to target Giannis Antetokounmpo – as expected, and as everyone else with a pulse will do – or Victor Oladipo during the summer of 2021.
"[via Miami Herald]Miami wants to preserve max cap space that summer for a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo or, secondarily, a few other targets including Victor Oladipo."
Again, this isn’t exactly a big shocker. Every team is going to pursue Giannis if he indeed hits the free-agent market in two years. However, with the development that has transpired over the last few months, you’d have to believe that the Heat actually has a real shot here.
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If they can continue to surpass expectations this season, perhaps the Heat could, once again, become a hot, attracting landing spot for big-name free agents.