Once again, Erik Spoelstra has led the Heat to a deep run in the playoffs last season. Even in an injury-marred year, Miami managed to finish atop the East and made it to the Conference Finals.
This season, however, they’ll have to live up to the expectations they created last year. The Heat proved they could be contenders, yet it seems they are still a few miles away from a championship.
Unsurprisingly, they look interested in adding another star to their roster, with Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell atop their wish list. But Pat Riley could also explore free agency, as an NBA executive reportedly told Heavy.com that LaMarcus Aldridge could move to South Beach this summer.
Rumor: LaMarcus Aldridge could land in Miami
“Aldridge is 37 now, it would not be a surprise if he decided on retiring,” an Eastern Conference executive told Heavy’s NBA Insider Sean Deveney. “But he still can score. He still has some value out there. He would be a nice fit in Boston, just as a guy who can knock down some shots and step in when Rob Williams or [Al] Horford needs a break. [Milwaukee] Bucks and Heat, too. Every team in the East, at the top of the East.
“Miami needs that one piece, that one big guy to push them over the top. Aldridge could take some of P.J. Tucker’s minutes, though he is obviously not on the same level as a defender. But he can shoot it. Miami needs depth there. He’s not going to be a starter, but he can help.”
P.J. Tucker proved last year how a veteran presence can help Miami. With Tucker in Philadelphia, the Heat could use the arrival of another experienced player. Aldridge turned them down last year to join the Nets, but now he may reconsider after seeing how far the Heat can go.