The Miami Heat have made a lot of progress last season. After being swept by eventual champions Milwaukee Bucks the previous year, Erik Spoelstra’s men bounced back with a deep run in the 2021-22 NBA playoffs.
However, their championship hopes were over in the Conference Finals, when they lost to the Boston Celtics. While the Heat had improved, they were still not powerful enough to challenge for the title until the end.
Therefore, they are chasing big fish this summer. Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell seem to be atop their wish list, but they are difficult targets as well. But according to an NBA executive, Miami could pull off a deal to get Nikola Vucevic of the Bulls.
Rumor: How Heat could get Nikola Vucevic from Chicago
“There are not a lot of teams actively looking for big guys now, especially frontline big guys,” an NBA executive told Sean Deveney of Heavy. “I think once the season gets going, if there is an injury, maybe that gets revisited. But probably the only team — and we’d have to see how things shake out there — is Miami. They wanted to make a big move, and they did not, not yet.
“The Bulls had some interest in Duncan Robinson before and if the Heat really wanted Vuc, that could be the basis of a deal, Vuc for Robinson. The Heat would have to add [Omer] Yurtseven, give Chicago a big guy to work with. And the Bulls would probably want them to take back Tony Bradley just to have a little more money under the tax in case they want to add a guy.”
Duncan Robinson has certainly done well for Miami all these years, but it would be interesting for them to try their luck with a veteran player like Vucevic. The Heat may have what it takes to challenge for the ultimate glory, but they must surround Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo with the right material.
