The Miami Heat have gone further than most people predicted in the 2021-22 NBA season. After being swept by eventual champions Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, Erik Spoelstra‘s men bounced back and ended up just one win away from the NBA Finals.
But this offseason, which will be crucialto keep their contending status, could bring them bad news from the very beginning. Veteran power forward P.J. Tucker turned down his $7.4 million player option last week and could walk as a free agent on Thursday.
Tucker, who was a key contributorfor Miami this season, is reportedly on the verge of joining the Philadelphia 76ers in a three-year, $30 million deal. Meanwhile, it seems thatPat Riley is alreadypreparing for his possible departure.
Rumor: Heat eye one familiar face and a free agent if PJ Tucker leaves
NBA Free Agency period begins on Thursday, June 30. That day, Tucker will be free to move elsewhere, with the Sixers apparently leading the race to land him. According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Heat would already have two alternatives to Tucker in mind:
“Should the Heat lose out on Tucker, the team, according to an NBA source, is considering either a trade for former Heat power forward Jae Crowder, who is entering the final year of a contract that pays $10.2 million next season with the Phoenix Suns, or a possible free-agent move for Indiana Pacers forward T.J. Warren.”
Crowder spent one season inMiami, helping the Heat reach the 2020 NBA Finals in the Orlando bubble before signing a three-year, $29 million deal with the Suns. Trading for him seems to be an option, but the report also notes that Miami could also target T.J. Warren, an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Needless to say, this will depend on what Tucker ultimately decides.