Written by Matt Moore at CBSSports.com
Most of this summer’s big-name free agents are near-locks to re-sign where they’re at. It would be at least slightly stunning to see Chris Paul or Blake Griffin leave the Clippers, and no one would ever imagine Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant leaving the Warriors. But one name who is thought to at least be somewhat available, or open to conversations, and who could have a real impact in a terrible free agency class, is Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward.
The New York Daily News, in a delightful column highlighting how much of a failure Phil Jackson has been as GM compared to Pat Riley, notes that the Heat could be one team he looks at seriously this summer.
Riley has a home court advantage because Miami is a prime free agent destination. The weather, the zero state income tax and the chance to play for a top franchise are too good for a lot of players to turn down. There are already whispers that if Utah can’t re-sign Gordon Hayward he could end up in Miami.
via Jackson still far from matching Riley’s front office success – NY Daily News.
That’s a pretty soft rumor, but it’s interesting. The Heat started out 11-30 and are now on the verge of securing a playoff spot. Goran Dragic has been great at times, Hassan Whiteside is a double-double machine, Dion Waiters has impressed, and they’ve had good players take larger roles on this team, while young guys like Rodney McGruder developed. The questions are about where they go from here.
Does adding Hayward make them a contender? No, but it gets them closer. They could use that core to build a pitch for a true marquee free agent to put them back into the title picture, at least theoretically.
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