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Before Monday’s victory against the Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters, “this is an important week for us.” And he’s right. After a disappointing start to the season, the Heat need to get back on track. Since the season began, it’s been an uphill climb to reach the .500 record mark. Now, the Heat are seeking to jumpstart their season by playing well on their four-game road trip. However, there’s another important date coming up—December 15th. Why is that date important? Well, it’s when most of last off-season’s signings become trade eligible. It’s usually the unofficial start to trade season.
Even though the Heat had statement wins against the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns, their biggest issue has been consistency. One night they’ll resemble the team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago and the next night they would drop wins against lottery teams. At 13-15, Miami currently sits in the 10th spot, the final spot for the play-in tournament. For a team and organization with championship aspirations, this is not an ideal spot to be in. This is why moves are needed. As of this week, Miami has already been linked to a few players in the rumor mill.
Jae Crowder
The most obvious and favorable one is the Jae Crowder, who last played with the Heat in 2020. Starting alongside Bam Adebayo in the starting lineup, Crowder helped the Heat reached their first finals since 2014. Crowder provided long range shooting, rebounding, and defense. He’s very familiar with the Heat’s system and knows how to play his role well. In his last season in Miami, he averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and shot 35 percent from three-point range. He’s been on the trade market since the training camp and away from his current team. Now, it’s been reported by the Athletics Shams Charnia that the December 15th date has reenergized their pursuit for the former Heat forward.
Bojan Bogdonavic
Next up, we have Bojan Bogdonavic, the Detroit Pistons sharpshooter. Out of all current targets, this may be the least likely one. Despite the reported Heat interest, it’s also been reported that the Pistons plan on keeping the forward in Detroit. Bogdanovic is not the defender that Crowder is, but he’ll fit nicely next to Adebayo as a floor spacer. At 44 percent from downtown, his sharpshooting will open up driving lanes for both Jimmy Butler and Adebayo. It will be a big boost for a Heat offense that’s currently ranked 27th in the league. Bogdanovic is currently having a strong season in Detroit, where he’s averaging 21 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 51 percent from the field.
Nerlens Noel
Another forward the Heat have been linked to is Bogdanovic’s teammate, Nerlens Noel. Noel was traded back in July by the New York Knicks as part of a salary dump. So far, he has not been a part of the Pistons rotation this season. And that’s because of the Pistons crowded frontcourt. He would be an interesting fit in Miami as a backup center behind Adebayo. Center depth behind Adebayo is a necessity for Miami. Dewayne Dedmon has struggled all season. Omer Yurtseven hasn’t played and probably won’t return until later in the season. Miami is also not ready to throw rookie center Nikola Jovic in the mix yet. As a defensive minded big, Noel could help Miami with shot blocking and rebounding.
Overall, all three players have some type of skillset that can help Miami. The next question is how Miami would go about pulling these deals off. It may require them to find a third team to help facilitate a deal. If they cannot find a deal, they may have to wait until the buyout for a good player to be available for them. But the time is moving fast, and Miami needs to get back on track. We’ll see what direction they decide to go.
